Diabetes Australia today announced an important two-year partnership with Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) under its flagship charity program, SCA Embrace.

The collaboration will strengthen Diabetes Australia’s efforts to improve awareness, understanding and support for the two million Australians living with diabetes, as well as those at risk. It will also deliver significant in-kind advertising across SCA’s 104 radio stations and digital platforms, amplifying important information about diabetes.

One Australian is diagnosed with diabetes every five minutes, with more than 141,000 people living with type 1 diabetes, 1.3 million people living with type 2 diabetes, and a further 500,000 estimated to be living with undiagnosed diabetes.

The SCA Embrace partnership will help to increase community understanding of diabetes risk, symptoms and prevention where possible, and complications management where prevention is not possible, while also helping to address misinformation and stigma that continue to affect people living with the condition.

Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain said the partnership provided an important opportunity to reach Australians with trusted information.

“We are excited, proud and grateful for the opportunity that SCA’s Embrace partnership presents.

“Increasing access to accurate information about diabetes will have a positive impact across the community, and we’re excited to work with SCA to help drive greater understanding and support for Australians living with, and at risk of, diabetes,” Ms Cain said.

Over the past decade, SCA Embrace has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in-kind advertising support to Australian charities since 2016, leveraging SCA’s national reach and expertise to drive awareness, education and meaningful social impact.

SCA’s Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Haddad, said SCA believes in the power of media to create meaningful impact.

“Diabetes Australia is delivering vital support to Australians at critical moments in their lives, and we’re proud to welcome them as our SCA Embrace charity partner for 2026-2027.

“Through SCA Embrace we’re able to amplify important conversations, increase awareness and help connect communities with the support they need,” he said.

Behind the diabetes statistics are individuals facing a heightened risk of serious complications, including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, vision loss and amputations.

Diabetes already costs the Australian health system $9.1 billion each year, with rates rising among younger Australians. Over the past decade, diagnoses among people in their 20s and 30s have increased by 44 per cent.

The impact is particularly severe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, who experience some of the highest recorded rates of type 2 diabetes in the world and are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalised with diabetes-related complications.

About Diabetes Australia

Diabetes Australia is the national peak body supporting people living with, and at risk of, diabetes. Working in collaboration with people with lived experience and the health sector, we are leading the national response to Australia’s largest health crisis. Our work focuses on supporting people with diabetes to live well, providing information, resources, and support services as well as investing in prevention, and reducing the impact of diabetes on people, health systems and society. We advocate for positive change that will create a healthier future for everyone.   

About SCA

Southern Cross Media Group (ASX:SXL) (Southern Cross) is one of Australia’s most prominent media companies, with a market-leading presence across broadcast television, audio, publishing and digital.

SCA’s audio assets including the LiSTNR digital app, offering free and compelling digital audio content including SCA’s FM, AM, and DAB+ radio stations, live AFL, NRL, and international cricket coverage, over 100 music playlists, local news and over 800 podcast titles from leading Australian and global creators. SCA has more than 2.5 million signed-in users on the LiSTNR app and with a total LiSTNR Audience Network that reaches an estimated 10 million* people each month.

SCA owns 104 radio stations across FM, AM, and DAB+ radio under the Triple M and Hit network brands and provides national sales representation for 56 regional radio stations, with more than 8.7 million listeners across the Hit and Triple M networks nationally.