This National Diabetes Week, we’re looking ahead to a landmark moment for our community, one that will see the voices, wishes, and lived experiences of Australians with diabetes shared on a truly global stage.

In August 2026, Melbourne will host one of the most significant diabetes meetings ever held in the Western Pacific Region: The International Diabetes Federation Western Pacific Region Congress 2026 (IDF-WPR Congress 2026).

What is the IDF‑WPR Congress, and why is Diabetes Australia co-hosting?

The IDF-WPR Congress 2026 is being delivered in combination with the Australasian Diabetes Congress (ADC 2026) and Metabolic Diseases 2026, bringing together an expected 3,000 delegates from Australia, across the Western Pacific Region, and internationally. It’s one of the largest diabetes and metabolic health gatherings held in the Southern Hemisphere for some time.

The combined Congress is co-hosted by Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS), and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA). It will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 18–21 August 2026.

Hosting this Congress in Australia is a rare opportunity to bring global expertise together while focussing on regional challenges and national priorities. The 2026 program will feature approximately 250+ international and Australasian speakers across four days. As co-hosts, we can help shape a program where the perspectives of people living with diabetes sit alongside world-leading research, clinical care, education, advocacy, and policy.

What is the Diabetes Community Day?

Diabetes Australia is delivering the Diabetes Community Day, a dedicated, free event held on the opening day of the Congress, designed specifically for people living with diabetes, their families, and supporters.

The Diabetes Community Day brings together education, lived experience, advocacy, and innovation in an accessible, welcoming environment. Whether you want to learn more about managing diabetes, connect with others in the community, or explore the latest tools and support available, it’s a chance to engage with the Congress in a way that’s relevant, practical, and meaningful to you.

What to expect on the day

The full program runs all day across the Plenary Theatre, exhibition zone and the breakout sessions, but a few moments not to be missed include:

• Community Exhibition: Connect with leading diabetes organisations and support services, innovative technologies and treatments, education, advocacy and community initiatives
• Children with Diabetes Journey Awards: Celebrating young people living with diabetes and their families.
• Diabetes Australia Grand Innovation Challenge Final: Watch finalists present at the Diabetes Australia Grand Innovation Challenge, showcasing breakthrough ideas and technologies transforming diabetes care.
• Highlights of the Congress: A rolling showcase of bite-sized talks from the main Congress program, bringing together global and local perspectives on diabetes care, treatment innovation, advocacy, programs delivered across cultures, and more.

Plus, a Guru Dudu Silent Disco, art activation with Robert Lee Davis, and a relaxed chill-out area for those who just want to take it all in.

Taking the community’s voice to a global stage

This National Diabetes Week (12–18 July), Diabetes Australia’s campaign is called Living Out Loud, and is asking the 2 million Australians living with diabetes to complete one sentence:

“I wish people knew…”

The aim is to aggregate the thousands of individual wishes shared under this year’s theme, Stronger Together, and build them into a wall of voices too big to ignore.

Every declaration is carried with the person’s diabetes type attached, so the full, distinct picture of diabetes in Australia, including type 1, type 2, gestational, and beyond, stays visible rather than blurred into one story.

And the voices don’t stop at Australia’s shores. Many of the wishes collected during National Diabetes Week will travel with us to the IDF-WPR Congress 2026, where they will be shared at a dedicated installation — carried there as Australia’s collective voice, asking the world’s researchers, clinicians, and policy makers to listen.

What our voices are wishing for

How to add your wish

Find everything you need and get involved on the National Diabetes Week page.

Some of the wishes shared this week will be carried all the way to Melbourne, helping ensure the lived experience of our community informs the conversations happening on the global stage.

How to register