Supporting a Healthier Future: Proudly Backing Diabetes Victoria
This National Diabetes Week (13–19 July), we’re proud to support Diabetes Victoria through our Community Benefit Program — because we believe in building a healthier future for all Victorians.
Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia. Almost 400,000 Victorians live with diabetes – enough people to fill the MCG four times over. A further 125,000 have undiagnosed diabetes.
For people living with diabetes, regular health checks for eyes, feet, blood pressure and kidneys can reduce the risk of long-term complications. For people at risk of type 2 diabetes, Diabetes Victoria recommends the AUSDRISK tool or a chat with your doctor.
This year, their campaign focuses on three critical areas to improve the health outcomes:
- Preventing Type 2 Diabetes: Many factors affect a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and not all can be changed, including age, cultural background, and family history. The AUSDRISK quiz takes only five minutes and will determine your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next five years.
- Early Diagnosis: Timely diagnosis prevents delayed treatment and reduces the risk of complications. they encourage regular health checks with healthcare teams.
- Annual Cycle of Care: For those living with diabetes, engaging in the annual cycle of care is crucial. This checklist helps identify potential health issues early, allowing for optimal treatment and reducing the impact of long-term complications.
If you have a relative with type 1 diabetes, you can access the national Type1Screen program for an antibody test to determine your risk of developing type 1.
Diabetes Victoria CEO Glen Noonan says knowing your risk is the first step to living well.
“Proactive health checks today can make a big difference to your future,” Mr Noonan says.
“For people living with all types of diabetes, the Annual Cycle of Care checklist is essential. It allows you to find potential health problems early and discuss the best possible treatment with health professionals.
“These regular checks can help you keep doing what you love and reduce the risk of long-term complications.”
Many factors affect a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes and not all can be changed, including age, cultural background and family history.
“The AUSDRISK quiz takes only five minutes and will determine your risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the next five years,” Mr Noonan explains.
“While diabetes affects many, the harmful effects of complications don’t have to.
“Let’s make health checks a normal part of life. No fear, just support.”
