Advocating for change

An effective way to improve the quality of life for people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis is to reach out to policy and decision-makers to help create positive change. At Crohn’s and Colitis Canada we are committed to advocating for policy and legislative changes that will ease the burden for those who live with and are affected by these chronic conditions.

How we take action

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada works in partnership with government, reaching out to elected and non-elected decision-makers in a non-partisan manner. Our advocacy efforts are directed towards government representing all jurisdictions: municipal, provincial/territorial and federal. At Crohn’s and Colitis Canada we employ a variety of advocacy activities to help improve health and social policies, including: government relations, media/community campaigns, public speaking events, conducting surveys and letter writing campaigns.


Advocating for Change Icons

Why we take action

Advocacy is a key pillar in the organization’s strategic plan and helps Crohn’s and Colitis Canada work towards a key aspect of its promise to improve the lives of children and adults affected by these chronic conditions. We also take action to raise awareness among our government representatives. If they don’t know what the needs of our community are, they are not able to make change. We work to provide solutions to the policy challenges.

Our priority areas of focus

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, through various consultations with our volunteers, board members and medical experts, have identified key priorities that require focused advocacy efforts. These priorities include:

Stay Informed

Interested in learning more about advocacy and keeping up-to-date with today’s news on advocacy? Email: advocacy@crohnsandcolitis.ca and write ‘subscribe’ in the subject line. You can take action to improve the lives of people affected by Crohn’s and colitis.

Additional Resources

For those who have individual concerns and wish to take on their own advocacy agenda, you will find helpful tools here:

  • Canada has among the highest incidence rates of Crohn's and colitis in the world.
  • 1 in 140 Canadians lives with Crohn’s or colitis.
  • Families new to Canada are developing these diseases for the first time.
  • Incidence of Crohn’s in Canadian kids under 10 has doubled since 1995.
  • People are most commonly diagnosed before age 30.

Other Areas of Interest