Every 8 minutes, one Australian is diagnosed with diabetes
The article was originally posted on LinkedIn by Miriam Lum On, Head of the Cardivascular, Diabetes and Kidney Unit
Coinciding with National Diabetes Week, our new AIHW publication, Diabetes: Australian facts, was released today. The report focusses on diabetes risk factors, major subtypes, treatment and the impact of diabetes. It also includes a deep dive into the impact of COVID-19 on people living with diabetes in Australia.
The report shows that:
· on average, one Australian is diagnosed with diabetes every 8 minutes
· 1 in 20 Australians were living with diabetes in 2020
Progress is ongoing to improve the treatment and management of Australians living with diabetes and the prevention of new onset diabetes. However, diabetes is still an important condition to target for continued monitoring and intervention – not least because of the strain it places on the health system.
Our work plays an essential role in helping policy makers, health professionals, researchers and the broader community better understand diabetes in the Australian population. This work is made possible through collaboration with our data providers.
Specifically, for the first time, linked National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) and Australasian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG) state-based register data has been used to present a clear time series from 2000 to 2020 of the impact of diabetes.
We look forward to continuing our partnerships to provide comprehensive, accurate and timely data, but to also explore opportunities to develop, improve and address known data gaps.
In today’s report, incidence, prevalence, hospitalisation and mortality are described for each diabetes type, with additional analysis of priority population groups. An interactive data tool also allows for further exploration of the available data.
Lastly, valuable insights into the diversity of people’s experiences with diabetes has been presented through real life stories. Explore Alex, Lee, Claire and Steve’s stories about living with diabetes. We hope this helps to reduce stigma and helps people to rethink diabetes.
I would like to thank my fantastic team, the AIHW Cardiovascular, Diabetes and Kidney Unit and all contributors and reviewers, for their efforts on this release.