The figures were released today (April 7) as part of World Health Day, a World Health Organisation (WHO) awareness day.

This year the WHO is highlighting diabetes as the major global health challenge of the 21st century and one of the biggest threats to economies across the globe.

Diabetes Australia CEO Professor Greg Johnson said that the 100,000 people diagnosed in 2015 took the total number of Australians now living with all types of diabetes to 1.2 million.

“In the last decade the number of people diagnosed annually has been increasing but 2014 was the first time we topped 100,000 and the 2015 figures are a grim reminder that we are not making progress.

“This is in contrast to some other chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease and some cancers where we are seeing a reduction in the burden of these as prevention, treatment and management improves.

“On top of this Diabetes Australia estimates there are hundreds of thousands of Australians with silent, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes and around two million adult Australians with prediabetes (early stage disruption of glucose metabolism) who are the high risk population likely to develop type 2 diabetes.”

Professor Johnson said strong evidence showed that a coordinated, comprehensive diabetes prevention program could help slow the diabetes epidemic.

“We have very strong evidence that intensive lifestyle behaviour changes including alterations to diet, increased physical activity and a reduction of 5-7 per cent of body weight can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by around 60 per cent for people at high risk,” he said.

“What Australia doesn’t have is a National Diabetes Prevention Program like the United States where they are systematically identifying high risk individuals and helping them access affordable prevention programs in the community.

“The Victorian Government has funded a diabetes prevention program since 2008 and the Queensland Government is now funding a similar program.”

“Now it’s time to create a national program with all states and territories working together with the Federal Government.”

“We’d like to see the same cooperation for diabetes that’s happening with the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children which is driving coordinated responses between the Federal Government and the states and territories.”

Professor Johnson pointed to the new Australian National Diabetes Strategy 2016 – 2020 released by Federal Health Minister Sussan Ley on World Diabetes Day late last year.

“We are very pleased the Strategy has been referred to all state and territory Health Ministers and that there will be a discussion around action but I can’t stress enough how important implementation is,” he said.

“Diabetes is the biggest challenge confronting Australia’s health system and the longer we put off coordinated, comprehensive action – the more the numbers continue to skyrocket.

Professor Johnson said it was important discussion covered the cost to individuals and communities as well as the financial cost.

“The financial cost is staggering and there is a very real risk it could bankrupt our health system, but the human cost is just as devastating,” he said.

“Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in working age Australians. Thousands of Australians lose their site every year and tragically 98 per cent of this is preventable.

“Diabetes is also the leading cause of lower limb amputation with around 70 Australians undergoing diabetes-related limb amputations every week.”

The size of the problem, Professor Johnson said, required involvement of every sector of Australian society.

“The response to diabetes must extend beyond Federal and State Governments. Everyone has a stake in reducing rates of preventable type 2 diabetes,” he said.

“We need the private sector and employers to do more to build healthier workplaces and give their workers all the opportunities they need to stay healthy and reduce their risk of diabetes.

“At a community and an individual level we need people to take control of their lives and ensure they are eating healthy, getting regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.”

Diabetes Australia is the national body for people affected by all types of diabetes and those at risk. Diabetes Australia is committed to reducing the impact of diabetes. We work in partnership with diabetes health professionals, researchers and the community to minimise the impact of diabetes.

For information: Liam Ferney, Diabetes Australia – 0448 130 925
Email: [email protected]