Government, community and households called to help stop
diabetes pandemic in Tasmania
National Diabetes Week 8 – 14 July 2012
A report released by Diabetes Tasmania today reveals a frightening 67,500 Tasmanians will
develop type 2 diabetes by 2025 if prevention measures are not taken at government,
community and household levels.
The State of Diabetes Report, Type 2 Diabetes Prevention – A Three Tiered Health Approach,
focuses on three priority areas for action – preventing Tasmanians from developing diabetes,
ensuring Tasmanians know their risk, and keeping Tasmanians with diabetes well.
Diabetes Tasmania CEO Caroline Wells said the report called on all levels of government to
increase their commitment to type 2 diabetes prevention and detection, in order to save
thousands of Tasmanians from premature death and disabling complications.
“Type 2 diabetes is at pandemic levels and the policies of governments, both federal and state,
will in so many ways determine how we cope with one of the century’s greatest health
challenges, which remains on a relentlessly upward trajectory,” Ms Wells said.
“If a high risk prevention program was run over four years for 50,235 Tasmanian workers, with a
50 per cent participation rate and assuming 37 per cent of cases were presented, 9,293 cases of
type 2 diabetes would be delayed or prevented.
“As part of a nationally funded program, to roll out an early intervention initiative in Tasmania
would cost $2.5 million per year, with a reduction in lifetime healthcare costs of $27 million.”
Ms Wells said the financial impacts of diabetes on the economy were substantial, with the total
annual cost for type 2 diabetes treatment nationally estimated at $6 billion.
“Without intervention this figure could quadruple by 2051, crippling our health systems,” she
said.
There are 20,819 Tasmanians living with type 2 diabetes and six people develop it in the State
every day, with a further 45,000 Tasmanians estimated to be living with ‘pre-diabetes’, meaning
they have abnormally high blood glucose levels.
“Despite this, the good news is that we know type 2 diabetes is largely preventable, with
lifestyle changes reducing the risk of developing the disease by up to 60 per cent in people at
high risk,” Ms Wells said.
“With type 2 set to become the leading burden of disease in Australia by 2017, the time for
inaction is over and it is only through governments, communities and households working
together that we will be able to make a tangible difference.
“The priorities set out in this report are not just solely the responsibility of governments, but
rather a collective responsibility where everyone has a role to play.
“In 2007 the Australian Government funded the development of the Australian Type 2 Diabetes
Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK) to identify a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
“This resource means we no longer need a blood test or invasive procedure to conduct a simple
community based screening to identify those who are at greater risk.
“Up to half of those living with type 2 diabetes are not aware they have the disease and this
needs to change if we are to slow this pandemic.
“This is why, throughout National Diabetes Week we have been strongly urging all Tasmanians
to jump online, support the call for federal funding into type 2 diabetes prevention and take the
AUSDRISK test.
“While tomorrow marks the end of National Diabetes Week, this is just the beginning of our call
to action in Tasmania and we will continue to promote the importance of the initiatives in our
report.”
It’s easy to add your voice and assess your risk at: www.letspreventdiabetes.org.au by simply
clicking ‘yes’ to support the Let’s Prevent Diabetes campaign and answering a few simple
questions.
Tasmanian local government members got behind the campaign at their annual conference
today as part of National Diabetes Week 2012.
Diabetes Tasmania
