WHO global diabetes report shows Australia must lift its game
Australia should do more to prevent diabetes and provide better care for those living with the disease, according to an author of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) first global diabetes report.
from the University of Sydney鈥檚 is the only Australian contributor to the inaugural WHO Global Report on Diabetes, released today.
The report reveals the enormous scale of the global diabetes epidemic, and paints a detailed picture of global trends in the prevalence and burden of the disease. It also calls for greater action from governments around the world to prevent and control diabetes and tackle the rising costs associated with the epidemic.
Australia certainly needs to lift its game in order to reach United Nations targets of a zero percent increase in diabetes and obesity by 2025, of which we are a voluntary signatory.
鈥淭his report is a reminder that we need to better cater for communities who aren鈥檛 receiving the type of attention and access to essential care for diabetes they need,鈥� said Professor Colagiuri, a leading expert in diabetes screening and prevention from the .
鈥淓ven in Australia, a country with universal health coverage, we have particular groups like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and people from certain culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have needs similar to those in developing countries.
鈥淔or remote communities, access to quality care, essential medicines and technologies can be problematic. Their rates of diabetes and complication such as kidney disease, especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, still remain among the highest in the world.鈥�
Professor Colagiuri will share his key contributions to the WHO report at the at the tomorrow.
According to the WHO report, the number of people worldwide with diabetes has quadrupled since 1980, with an estimated 422 million adults living with the disease in 2014. Globally, diabetes and higher-than-optimal blood glucose together caused 3.7 million deaths. Yet only one in three low- and middle-income countries are able to provide basic technologies for diagnosing and managing diabetes, the report states.
鈥淎ccess to essential medicines such as life-saving insulin as well as adequate screening technologies is extremely limited in low- and middle-income countries,鈥� Professor Colagiuri said.
鈥淲hile we tend to think of countries as fairly uniform in health provision, it鈥檚 important to note that certain communities in Australia are faring just as badly as those in less developed countries.
鈥淎ustralia certainly needs to lift its game in order to reach United Nations targets of a zero percent increase in diabetes and obesity by 2025, of which we are a voluntary signatory.鈥�
Joining Professor Colagiuri at tomorrow鈥檚 World Health Day on Diabetes Seminar are:
- , Kellion Professor of Endocrinology and Stan Clark Chair in Diabetes at the University of Sydney鈥檚 Charles Perkins Centre
- Sturt Eastwood (chair), CEO of Diabetes NSW
- Bridget Foley, Ambassador for Diabetes NSW
- (opening remarks), Academic Director of the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney
Event details听
What: 听
When: 12pm to 1pm, Thursday 7 April 2016听
Where: Level 6 Seminar Room, , University of Sydney
Cost: Free, requested
Co-presented by the WHO Collaborating Centre on Physical Activity, Nutrition & Obesity and the Charles Perkins Centre.
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