Page 2466 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 31 July 2019
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(d) in the ACT, 14 777 people have diagnosed Type 2 diabetes;
(e) in the ACT, 1053 people have diagnosed gestational diabetes;
(f) in the ACT, a further 106 people have been diagnosed with other, rarer forms of diabetes; and
(g) a further 5500 people in the ACT are likely to have undiagnosed diabetes;
(2) further notes that:
(a) diabetes can be due to hereditary factors and also lifestyle factors; and
(b) diabetes can lead to a range of complications, including blindness and amputation; and
(3) calls on the ACT Government to:
(a) recognise and applaud the work of diabetes educators, dietitians, podiatrists, nurses, exercise physiologists and other health workers who strive to achieve the best possible outcomes for people with diabetes in the ACT; and
(b) work closely with Diabetes NSW & ACT to ensure testing of ACT public servants in the workplace for diabetes.
I am sure we are all aware that diabetes is a huge health challenge we must confront and address. Diabetes is Australia’s number one chronic disease and can lead to a range of health complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney issues, blindness and amputation. It can also cause death.
Many people live up to seven years with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes before, for some reason, they get tested and are diagnosed with diabetes. Thousands of Canberrans have been diagnosed and are living with different types of diabetes. Nearly 18,000 people in the ACT have diagnosed diabetes. Of those around 1,926 have type 1 diabetes; 14,770 have type 2 diabetes; 1,053 have gestational diabetes; and 106 people have other more rare types of diabetes. But it is also estimated that about 5,500 people in the ACT are silently living with diabetes without knowing it. In effect, that may bring us up to something more like 25,000 people in the ACT with this chronic health condition.
When you are diagnosed you are better able to manage this chronic condition and mitigate complications. Diabetes often comes with other associated health conditions—for example, high blood pressure. Having the condition diagnosed means you are able to stay healthier for longer. For example, recently Diabetes NSW & ACT held a clinic in one ACT pharmacy and in one week at one pharmacy they diagnosed 20 Canberrans with high blood sugar levels. There is now an opportunity for those 20 Canberrans to receive the medical treatment they need to stay healthier for longer and prevent or at the very least delay the onset of some of the very serious complications of diabetes. If testing had taken place at 100 pharmacies during that week, imagine how many more Canberrans would now be receiving the treatment they need. This is a classic preventative health scenario.
There are a number of messages I would like to make sure we take away from today. Firstly, I encourage all Canberrans over the age of 40 to know their blood sugar levels
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