Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I stand today to speak in support of the motion moved by the member for McPherson and to thank her for reminding the parliament of a particularly important week, Coeliac Awareness Week 2014, and the need for greater public awareness of this condition. Coeliac Awareness Week runs from 13 to 20 March. This year the campaign will run with the successful slogan from last year 'Sick and tired of feeling sick and tired'.

Coeliac disease is an illness where a sufferer will have an abnormal reaction to gluten, a protein found in barley, oats and rye. It is a genetic disease which affects one in every 100 Australians. This suggests it is a quite common disease; however, these statistics alone are not the most disturbing. As mentioned in the motion, there is an alarmingly high number of undiagnosed sufferers, somewhere near 80 per cent. The only way we can reduce this number is by spreading the word and educating Australians on what coeliac disease is, how to identify its symptoms and encourage people to be tested if they have any such symptoms. Coeliac Awareness Week is the opportune time to encourage Australians to be tested.

Symptoms of coeliac disease can be widespread and differ in severity. Some symptoms are more noticeable and serious such as constipation, vomiting, nausea and delayed growth in children. There are, however, more mild symptoms and in some cases no immediate symptoms at all. Undiagnosed Australians may very well suffer from what seems like normal fatigue or stomach cramps, but simply shrug them off as something that will pass, not realising these are indeed symptoms of coeliac disease. Coeliac Awareness Week serves to get the word out to the community that even the most minor symptom could be a sign of coeliac disease.

Coeliac Awareness Week and the work of Coeliac Australia strive to tackle the biggest problem in regard to coeliac disease—that is, the rate of undiagnosed sufferers. When diagnosed and treated accordingly, by way of a gluten-free diet, coeliac sufferers can live a very normal life. On the other hand, sufferers who are undiagnosed risk severe, long-term health impediments such as the inability to absorb nutrients, systemic inflammation, irritable bowel syndrome and, in some cases, ovarian cancer. To avoid the more serious illnesses the message from Coeliac Australia is a simple one: visit your GP and get tested.

I would like to commend Coeliac Australia for the wonderful work they do in raising awareness of coeliac disease in our community. Representing around 25,000 members whose illnesses require a gluten-free diet, Coeliac Australia works to ensure those who are diagnosed can live a high quality life. With their five-state organisation, Coeliac Australia provides their members with medical advice and information from cooking recipes to travelling tips and restaurant recommendations for those who require a gluten free diet. I would also like to join in congratulating Coeliac Australia for their continued efforts in fundraising and research around the disease. Coeliac Australia also does a fantastic job in lobbying for its members—for example, their work around ensuring gluten-free food labelling. Dr Jason Tye-Din, a gastroenterologist by trade and also the Coeliac Australia Medical Advisory Committee chairman, has suggested that of all his coeliac-suffering patients, the ones who took up membership with Coeliac Australia by way of their state branches have found it easier to adopt a gluten-free diet and enjoy a high quality life.

Coeliac Awareness Week is a time when we can all assist Coeliac Australia in getting the message out. Head to the website www.sickandtired.com.au where there is more information about the campaign. On this website you can also print off materials such as posters, fact sheets and flyers to help show support and spread the message of Coeliac Awareness Week. There are also plenty of videos uploaded by Australians who have been diagnosed with coeliac disease talking about how they felt before they got tested and why it is a good idea for people with similar symptoms to also visit their local GP.

I am pleased to do my part in getting behind Coeliac Awareness Week 2014. Publicising this week is the best opportunity we have to reduce the number of undiagnosed sufferers. I would urge all of my parliamentary colleagues to get behind this initiative. A little bit of work by all of us now, pushing for people to visit their local GP and get tested, could in turn reduce the long-term health risks of undiagnosed sufferers. All of us will have family or friends suffering from coeliac disease; many of them may not be aware of it. Coeliac Awareness Week provides us all with the opportunity and the information to highlight this condition throughout the nation.

Debate adjourned.

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