JointHealth
français
Nova Scotia 2024 provincial election

Arthritis affects one in five voters in Nova Scotia and affects more people than heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and dementia - combined. Two-thirds of Nova Scotians living with arthritis are under the age of 65. It is a leading cause of disability in Nova Scotia and a significant economic burden related to direct health care costs and indirect costs to the economy related to lost employment, sick leave, and absenteeism.

Health care delivery is one of the most important issues for Nova Scotia voters leading up to the November 26, 2024 provincial election. Arthritis affects approximately 200,000 Nova Scotia residents, yet no comprehensive model of arthritis care is available across the province. The way people living with arthritis access and receive health care varies significantly across Nova Scotia. Where you live can be more important in determining arthritis treatment than how sick or disabled you are. This particularly affects people living with inflammatory arthritis – like rheumatoid arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, psoriatic arthritis or lupus – who depend on getting a timely and accurate diagnosis, fast access to rheumatologists, and appropriate public reimbursement for needed disease-modifying medications.

Nova Scotia’s healthcare system and economy are already under tremendous pressure. Without intervention, a serious issue like arthritis can escalate into a far bigger crisis. The time to address arthritis prevention, treatment, and care is now after years of being at the back of the line of health care planning and delivery in Nova Scotia. Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) is asking the candidates running in the Nova Scotia election what they will do, if elected, to improve the province’s level of arthritis prevention, treatment, and care.

ACE survey

Arthritis Consumer Experts Chronicle Herald letter-to-the-editor

Party and Candidate Responses
Any candidate or party responses received by ACE will be archived and posted here as they arrive. Please note the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party only provides a centralized response to questionnaires and does not provide individual candidate responses.

ACE letter sent to each candidate included:
Individual Candidate Responses
This section will be updated as we receive responses from individual candidates. Party Responses To Survey
This section will be updated as we receive party responses. Questions voiced by Nova Scotia people with arthritis
  • What will your government do to provide high quality, evidence-based models of care to ensure more timely access to arthritis care and enable Nova Scotians to get the right treatment at the right time?
  • Will your government introduce culturally appropriate, patient-centered policies to help Indigenous Peoples navigate the healthcare system and receive coordinated care within their community to manage their arthritis?
  • Will your government commit to reinvesting biosimilars savings to increase accessibility to new medicines and expand coverage for existing medicines for people living with inflammatory arthritis?
  • Will your government take steps to ensure timely, specialized care for Nova Scotia residents struggling with osteoarthritis, including joint replacement surgery wait times that are within medically recommended guidelines?
  • What will your government do to ensure the continuation, improvement, and expansion of virtual care for all Nova Scotia residents – both patients and health care professionals – and ensure access is equitable to all?
Any questions received by ACE will be posted anonymously.

Ways to vote
On November 26, 2024, make your voice count: #Vote4Arthritis. For more information on how to vote, Elections Nova Scotia has provided several early voting options, including voting at a returning office, a community or by advanced poll or by a write-in ballot. On election day, voters can vote at their assigned voting location, the returning office in their electoral district or by write-in ballot.