黑料网 took a simple yet powerful message to the halls of Parliament House in Canberra this week: Australians living with all types of diabetes should have equitable access to the technology they need to live well.  

Highlighting our advocacy for increased subsidies for insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, a delegation from 黑料网, including people living with diabetes, met with Senators and Members of Parliament to discuss the life-changing nature of these technologies.  

Proud mum of two Katie Godden, endocrinologist Dr Ben Nash, and former AFL star Paddy McCartin (pictured above) all live with type 1 diabetes and shared their stories with the nation鈥檚 policy makers about the importance of diabetes technologies.聽Far left is 黑料网’s Taryn Black.聽

黑料网鈥檚 policy paper outlines the steps needed to create more affordable access to CGM devices and insulin pumps, including economic modelling that shows a $200 million package of investment would support nearly 40,000 people living with diabetes to access these technologies, prioritising those with the greatest need. 

Acknowledging that subsidies to improve access will likely need to be delivered in a staged approach over time, the paper recommends key priority groups in the first instance, with further expansion in the future. 

The paper also outlines recommendations for changes to the way diabetes technologies are assessed and approved in Australia and investment in the diabetes workforce to support people living with diabetes get the most out of technology. 

A busy day at Parliament House on November 20 saw the 黑料网 team meet with many Members of Parliament and Senators including Dr Mike Freelander MP and Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston. Great connections were formed as advocates discussed how important technology is for people living with diabetes.聽聽

Australians living with diabetes are doing it tougher than ever.

That鈥檚 why today, on World Diabetes Day (Thursday 14 November), 黑料网 is launching Diabetes YOUnited 鈥� our new, free national membership program available to everyone in Australia. 

To celebrate the launch of Diabetes YOUnited, we鈥檙e teaming up with chef Miguel Maestre to host a series of cooking demonstrations around Australia. Miguel鈥檚 challenge? To cook a tasty, easy, and affordable meal. After appearing with 黑料网 Group CEO Justine Cain on Channel 9鈥檚 Today show this morning, the first stop is Perth!

鈥淭his is such an important campaign for me to be involved in. I鈥檝e been on my own health journey with my nutrition and my fitness because I want to feel good and have energy. I鈥檓 so passionate about good food but I know it鈥檚 challenging times for people right now,鈥� said Miguel.

鈥淓verything is expensive. I want to help show people that you can make really tasty food that鈥檚 not expensive and is very nutritious. While I鈥檓 an expert in good food, 黑料网 are the experts in diabetes support and I鈥檓 looking forward to cooking up a storm around the country!鈥�

Cooking demonstrations with chef Miguel Maestre

Find Miguel’s delicious chicken paella recipe here and his light and crunchy low carb zoodle salad here.

Perth

• Friday, 15 November
• 10:30am
• Forrest Place Stage, Perth CBD

Adelaide

• Sunday, 17 November
• 10:00am
• Adelaide Showground Farmers鈥� Market

Brisbane

• Saturday, 7 December
• 11:00am
• Flowstate South Bank, Brisbane

Melbourne

• Monday, 24 February 2025
• 11:30am
• Il Mercato Centrale Melbourne, Level 1 Wine Bar – 546 Collins Street, Melbourne

More dates and locations to come!

Australians living with all types of diabetes should have equitable access to the technology they need to live well. Right now they don鈥檛 and this needs to change.

That was the simple, yet powerful, message for National Diabetes Week 2024 (July 14-20).

National Diabetes Week featured many powerful stories of people living with diabetes, highlighting the current inequities many Australians experience accessing the technology they need to live well.

Throughout the week, a series of community engagement events, media opportunities, and announcements amplified the voices of the diabetes community and showcased the need for fair and equitable access to diabetes technology.

鈥楧iaBuddies鈥� help launch National Diabetes Week

A big group of 鈥楧iaBuddies鈥� children living with type 1 diabetes and their families helped launch National Diabetes Week 2024 in Brisbane. In sharing their stories, these children and their families highlighted the difference diabetes technology makes in their lives but, also the financial hardship for many trying to access this technology.

Position Statement outlines the steps needed to create more affordable access to diabetes technology

To kick-off National Diabetes Week, 黑料网 released a new policy paper calling on the government to make life changing technology more affordable for people living with all types of diabetes.

In the paper, we have outlined the steps needed to create more affordable access to CGM devices and insulin pumps, including economic modelling that shows a $200 million package of investment would support nearly 40,000 people living with diabetes to access these technologies, prioritising those with the greatest need.

Acknowledging that subsidies to improve access will likely need to be delivered in a staged approach over time, the paper recommends key priority groups in the first instance, with further expansion in the future.

The paper also outlines recommendations for changes to the way diabetes technologies are assessed and approved in Australia and investment in the diabetes workforce to support people living with diabetes get the most out of technology.

New funding announced for diabetes technology research

During National Diabetes Week, 黑料网 announced a new funding program to support research into life-changing diabetes technologies.

The Diabetes Technology Research Accelerator Grant Program has been designed to fast-track the development of new diabetes technologies.

The research program will bring together technology and pharmaceutical industries with world leading researchers to get new technologies into the hands of people with diabetes who need them most.

黑料网 will be investing seed funding of $250,000 and we are calling for matched funding from industry partners to help generate $1 million to spear-head this initiative and create real change.

Marrin Weejali event highlights need for technology access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Federal MP backs campaign with activation in Sydney鈥檚 West

In collaboration with Federal Member for Fowler, Dai Le MP, 黑料网 hosted an activation at Cabramatta Plaza, in Sydney鈥檚 West. Fowler has a strong multicultural community with rates of diabetes much higher than the national average. Hundreds turned out to engage in the event, chat with a diabetes health professional and hear about the campaign for fair and equitable access to diabetes technology.

Victorian Virtual Emergency Department-Diabetes Service launched

黑料网 is proud to be backing the new Victorian Virtual Emergency Department-Diabetes Service, launched during National Diabetes Week.

The first of its kind in Australia service aims to provide emergency specialist support services for people living with diabetes and revolutionise the management of diabetes emergencies across Victoria.

Expert modelling shows huge cost savings for diabetes technology

News coverage during National Diabetes Week highlighted new research which shows CGM devices can dramatically reduce the risk of life-threatening diabetes-related complications including blindness, cardiovascular disease and kidney failure for people living with type 2 diabetes.

黑料网 Chief Medical Officer Professor David Simmons is a co-author on research presented recently at the American Diabetes Association conference. It studied people with type 2 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy in Australia.

The analysis shows CGM would massively reduce eye, renal, neuropathy, and cardiovascular complications of the condition by 17.7, 21.1, 8.7 and 2.5 per cent respectively.

April Welsh shares the life changing impact of diabetes technology

April Welsh, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of three, knows the life changing impact of diabetes technology. It鈥檚 helped her chase her dreams and compete professionally in motorsport, racing in Formula Vee in WA.

At a National Diabetes Week event hosted by Rio Tinto Children’s Diabetes Centre based at Perth Children’s Hospital and Telethon Kids Institute, April met with a group of children newly diagnosed with type 1 who are just starting out on their journey with diabetes tech.

Perth Diabetes Care roundtable highlights need to keep the conversation going

To cap off the week, a roundtable event hosted by Perth Diabetes Care provided a forum to hear from more people about how much fair and equitable access to technology would mean to them.

Let鈥檚 keep the conversation going

The national conversation, which commenced in the months leading up to National Diabetes Week, will continue well beyond July as the diabetes community continues to unite around this issue.

This fight starts and ends with community. Together we can make a difference!

Let鈥檚 unite in the fight for tech.

Missed health checks and reduced access to routine health care for people living with type 2 diabetes could be costing the Australian health system around $2.3B per annum, according to 黑料网.

New modelling from 黑料网, based on US research, found that the cost impact of people in Australia living with type 2 diabetes not receiving recommended care was around AU$3,564 per person per annum. 

An estimated 50% of Australians living with type 2 diabetes are not accessing a range of recommended diabetes health checks that help to prevent and manage diabetes-related complications including checks for diabetes management, cholesterol, eyes, kidneys, feet and others.

Missed health checks contribute to the increased prevalence of diabetes-related hospitalisations and complications. Annually this includes:

• 710,000 admissions to hospital for dialysis
• 256,000 admissions to hospital for other kidney-related conditions
• 19,000 diabetes-related emergency admissions
• 100,000 hospitalisations for eye complications
• 5,163 amputations

This results in extra costs to the health system, with an increased prevalence of diabetes-related complications, many of which are preventable.

The new cost analysis was released at the start of National Diabetes Week which runs from July 9 鈥� 15.

黑料网 Group CEO Justine Cain said the modelling highlighted the importance of supporting Australians living with all types of diabetes to receive the best possible healthcare.

鈥淒iabetes is complex and can lead to a range of debilitating and costly complications, many that can be prevented or delayed by ensuring people receive timely and appropriate medical care,鈥� Ms Cain said.

鈥淥ne of the challenges with Australia鈥檚 healthcare system is that it has been orientated towards treating people when they are sick and unwell, rather than preventing issues before they develop. 

鈥淔or people with diabetes, this means we need to better ensure people can easily access the routine health checks which can detect problems like heart and kidney disease and vision loss early when they are most treatable.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we are strong supporters of the Federal Government鈥檚 Strengthening Medicare process which will create a health system that better meets the needs of people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes.鈥�

Ms Cain said this National Diabetes Week, 黑料网 was launching the nation鈥檚 biggest ever conversation about diabetes to hear from people living with the condition about improving the quality of healthcare they receive and inform its submission to the Australian Government鈥檚 Parliamentary Inquiry into Diabetes.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to amplify the voice of people with diabetes who understand the reality of living with diabetes better than anyone to ensure this inquiry focusses on the priorities that will change the future,鈥� she said.

鈥満诹贤� is encouraging people to complete our National Community Consultation Survey and attend one of our Great Debates either in person or online.鈥� 

Dr Gaurav Puri, Clinical Director of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Logan Hospital and the current Chair of Queensland Statewide Diabetes Clinical Network, said it was important to pinpoint the blockages and gaps in the current system that are making it harder for people living with type 2 diabetes to access optimum care.

鈥淭he economic impact of sub-optimal care is a significant and extensive issue that needs to be addressed,鈥� Dr Puri said. 

鈥淲e need to have a health system that is geared towards supporting people living with diabetes to live well and prevent diabetes-related complications and protect our health system.鈥�

Glenn Lewis, 71, from outside Pimpama, has lived with type 2 diabetes for about eight years. He is grateful that he understood the importance of staying on top of his condition from its earliest stages, and that his GP was determined to help him access the best diabetes care.

鈥淏efore I retired, I was an instrument and control engineer for petrochemical companies, and I had a good understanding about balancing my blood glucose levels,” Glenn said. 鈥淎bout two years after I was diagnosed, my body wasn鈥檛 responding to medication, so I went straight to insulin. Some people resist doing that, but I knew I had to keep my blood glucose levels in a healthy range.

鈥淢y doctor was also insistent from the beginning that I completed my Annual Cycle of Care appointments and checks. I attend all my regular appointments for eyes, feet, liver and kidney function, and heart checks.

鈥淚 understand that with a condition like diabetes, you must stay on top of it. I want to prevent the possible complications rather than have to deal with them.鈥� 

Find out more about 2023 National Diabetes Week and details regarding Australia鈥檚 biggest conversation about the impact of diabetes.

To mark 黑料网鈥檚 ongoing campaign to Unite in the Fight for Change, the sails of the Sydney Opera House were lit blue on Thursday evening.

We are grateful for the support of the Sydney Opera House to help raise awareness of the impact of diabetes and the need for action to change the lives of millions of Australians.

Since 2006, the blue circle, and colour blue more generally, have provided a universal symbol for diabetes. Introduced as part of a United Nations Resolution to give diabetes a common identity, the circle symbolises unity and the blue border of the circle reflects the colour of the sky and the flag of the United Nations. The United Nations is in itself a symbol of unity amongst nations and is the only organisation that can signal to governments everywhere that it is time to fight diabetes and reverse the global trends that will impede economic development and cause so much suffering and premature death.

Similarly, our new campaign calls for unity in the fight for change.

Without action, diabetes will continue to negatively impact people鈥檚 lives and our health system. Our ambition for the future is bold. We want a future where diabetes can do no harm.

Urgent action is needed to:

• Prevent people from developing type 2 diabetes
• Support people with diabetes to live long and live well
• Reduce the health, social and financial impacts of diabetes
• Find a cure.

To achieve this ambition we must drive change.

On the same day as the sails were lit blue, we participated in the launch of the Western Sydney Changing Diabetes initiative. We鈥檙e proud to be a partner of , working locally to increase the proportion of the healthy population, slow the progression towards being at risk of diabetes, and reduce the size of the at-risk population.

It is initiatives like Western Sydney Changing Diabetes that we will fight for more of, to change the trajectory of the diabetes epidemic.

It鈥檚 time to unite to drive change and have a greater impact.

Together we can change the lives of millions of Australians, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, grandparents, and loved ones, who are living with diabetes or will develop the condition in the years ahead. That鈥檚 why we are asking all Australians to join us and unite for change.

National Diabetes Week is an opportunity to increase awareness of the growing rates of diabetes, but sometimes it feels like diabetes is so common we become numb to its seriousness. This is particularly true in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities around Australia.鈥�  

Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with diabetes experience stigma daily through comments, blame and shame for having diabetes and how they manage it.鈥� 

Diabetes is a chronic condition that has been linked to social and emotional health issues. With Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia experiencing higher rates of diabetes and mental health, it鈥檚 important we are mindful of what we are saying to people about their diabetes, and to be compassionate and understanding of what it might be like for someone living with diabetes.鈥� 

This week is also a timely reminder for those living with diabetes and experiencing depression or anxiety to visit their local health service and seek support.鈥�  

Throughout my time working in health, I have come across multiple stories of the impact diabetes has had on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people鈥檚 social and emotional wellbeing. Young people having to deal with amputations and locking themselves in their homes, being too ashamed to come out in case people judge them. A close family member who is terminally ill and also recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes – I worry for him and about his mental health and wellbeing every day; for him it鈥檚 another condition he has to manage that restricts him from what is 鈥榥ormal鈥� life for him. 鈥� 

For some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, finding out they have diabetes can be confronting, confusing and scary. If our environments don鈥檛 support people鈥檚 ability to manage their diabetes, then the condition can worsen, not because they don鈥檛 want to manage it but because they find it so difficult.  

We need to recognise how important environments are in managing diabetes, particularly in rural and remote areas. Limited access to affordable healthy foods and safe places to be active become issues for those living with diabetes; can you imagine how frustrating it must be? Shaming people for their inability to make and maintain changes can impact on our families and friends living with diabetes more than we realise.鈥��  

As Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people some of our strengths are family and community and supporting each other when things seem tough. Eddie Fewings, speaking on the Heads Together forum this week, said how important peer support is in managing his diabetes. He and his mates who live with diabetes take time to check on each other and provide support. This is really important for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.  

Remember just as nutrition and physical activity are important for managing diabetes, so is social and emotional wellbeing.鈥�  

By Deanne Minniecon, National Manager Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement

I have been living with Type 1 Diabetes for 53 years and can say that it is a condition that you can NEVER forget about.

I was diagnosed in my final year of university when I was called into the army and then to Vietnam. The medical examination required prior discovered my diabetes. I was very mentally distressed as there had been no diabetes in my family.

I was fortunate that I had always worked in tertiary education and so usually had quite regular daily routines. I was always aware that when I had to give a lecture I made sure that I had enough carbs to deal with the mental and physical aspects of this task.

I did find it mentally challenging when I was required to attend on campus breakfast staff meetings. I had to travel to the campus and inject while sitting around the meeting table with my fellow colleagues. Sometimes disapproving glances were given or comments made if I selected a small piece of a pastry rather than a large piece of 鈥楩rench toast鈥�. The assumption being that the toast was better for diabetes than puff pastry.

On a couple of occasions when I had an unexpected hypo at work, I was usually angry at my feeling of failure in controlling the condition. If had severe overnight hypos mostly I still went to work because I felt that a day鈥檚 sick leave would be an admission that I was failing to manage my diabetes.

Now that I am retired, I mentally began to unravel from the demands of the condition. All the care with controlling blood sugars over the 50 years never makes you 鈥榳ell鈥�.

I am seeing a psychologist now which I has helped me unpack a lot of issues.

Over the decades the support for diabetes management has varied greatly. I had some really good diabetes educators, and some I wasn鈥檛 very happy with.
I currently have a great medical team and my wife has always supported me.

In summary, after all these years the technology available to manage the condition has improved enormously but mentally it is still a daily task to make decisions about how much to eat, how much exercise to do, how then this will affect the blood glucose levels. It is a condition which results in you having a mental cage inside. It is very difficult to make spontaneous decisions about what to do each day of my life.

Mentally it NEVER STOPS.

By Geoffery Roberts