Diabetes Australia has marked Nationwide Diabetes Week (13 – 19 July 2025) with two main initiatives designed to deal with Australia’s sort 2 diabetes epidemic and enhance outcomes for folks dwelling with the situation.
A coverage paper launched at the moment calls on the Australian Authorities to greater than double its funding in preventive well being, lifting it to five % of complete well being expenditure by 2030. A second report additionally highlights the significance of stopping problems, displaying greater than 560,000 Australians are decreasing their danger of diabetes-related blindness by way of the KeepSight eye examine reminder program.
Diabetes Australia Group CEO Justine Cain stated each reviews spotlight the pressing want for nationwide management and coordinated motion to scale back the influence of diabetes on the well being system and the lives of hundreds of thousands of Australians.
“Prevention is probably the most cost-effective and sustainable technique to handle the kind 2 diabetes epidemic,” Ms Cain stated.
“Stopping sort 2 diabetes isn’t solely potential, it’s important. Round 58 % of instances will be prevented or delayed. Early detection of each sort 1 and kind 2 diabetes may also assist to forestall critical problems.”
Report: A More healthy Future: Lowering the Impression of Diabetes Via Prevention
The diabetes prevalence charge in Australia is rising quickly. Since 2000, the variety of Australians recognized with all varieties of diabetes has risen by 220 % from 460,000 to virtually 1.5 million. If present tendencies proceed, that quantity may attain 3.6 million by 2050.
Diabetes Australia’s new coverage paper, A More healthy Future: Lowering the Impression of Diabetes Via Prevention, outlines 4 nationwide precedence objectives:
- Prioritise decreasing disparities and overcoming obstacles
- Prevention and early detection of sort 2 diabetes
- Strengthen help for diabetes self-management
- Forestall problems and optimise diabetes administration
“Most of the most critical problems, equivalent to amputations, kidney failure and imaginative and prescient loss, will be prevented with well timed, coordinated care and help,” Ms Cain stated.
“Lifting funding in preventive well being to five % of nationwide healthcare spending will save lives, cut back problems from power situations like diabetes, and assist preserve our well being system financially sustainable.”
Report: Unveiling the Worth of KeepSight: Enhancing Diabetes-Associated Imaginative and prescient Care and Stopping Imaginative and prescient Loss
As a part of its dedication to stopping problems, Diabetes Australia delivers KeepSight, a nationwide reminder program encouraging folks with diabetes to have common eye checks.
Since its launch in 2019, KeepSight has helped greater than half one million Australians cut back their danger of diabetes-related blindness by over 90 %. Greater than 8,000 folks be part of this system every month, and over 60 % of those that obtain reminders return for ongoing checks inside the really useful timeframes.
A brand new report, Unveiling the Worth of KeepSight: Enhancing Diabetes-Associated Imaginative and prescient Care and Stopping Imaginative and prescient Loss, highlights the success of this system and the significance of standard screening in detecting diabetes-related retinopathy and imaginative and prescient points earlier than signs seem.
“Diabetes is relentless. Individuals handle a number of well being considerations on daily basis, and eye checks can slip down the precedence checklist,” Ms Cain stated.
“KeepSight supplies a easy, efficient nudge that helps folks take motion. It’s a fantastic instance of how digital well being interventions can enhance outcomes and alter behaviour.”
Most members are referred to KeepSight by their optometrist, with greater than 80 % of the key and impartial optometry suppliers built-in in this system. It’s publicly/privately funded by the Australian Authorities and founding accomplice Specsavers, with help from the attention sector together with Imaginative and prescient 2020 Australia, RANZCO, and Optometry Australia.
Imaginative and prescient 2020 Australia CEO Carly Iles stated this system breaks down widespread obstacles to care.
“Price, entry, and even concern of a analysis can stop folks from getting checked. KeepSight helps cut back these obstacles by providing reminders and reassurance from a trusted supply,” Ms Iles stated.
The report positions KeepSight as a nationwide benchmark for coordinated diabetes eye care, bringing collectively authorities, optometry, ophthalmology and well being our bodies to make sure consistency and high quality throughout the sector.
Ms Cain stated each the coverage paper and KeepSight report exhibit the significance of stopping diabetes problems.
“This can be a turning level. We should act now to forestall extra folks from growing sort 2 diabetes and guarantee higher care and outcomes for these already dwelling with the situation.”
Background
- Type 2 diabetes is likely one of the fastest-growing power well being situations in Australia.
- Each 8 minutes somebody is recognized with sort 2 diabetes, with rising charges amongst younger folks.
- 1.3 million Australians live with sort 2 diabetes
- 2 million Australians dwell with all varieties of recognized and undiagnosed diabetes.
- Diabetes prices the Australian well being system an estimated $9.1 billion yearly.
- Type 2 diabetes prevention contains wholesome way of life applications, early detection, and improved entry to take care of at-risk populations.
About Diabetes Australia
Diabetes Australia is the nationwide organisation supporting all folks dwelling with or susceptible to diabetes. We put folks first. We work in collaboration with member organisations, shoppers, well being professionals, state-based diabetes organisations, researchers and the group.
For extra info go to: www.diabetesaustralia.com.au
