Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

by leave—On behalf of the member for Moreton, I move:

That this House:

(1) recognises that 14 November is World Diabetes Day;

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) there are 1.1 million diagnosed cases of diabetes in Australia and they are rising by 100,000 a year;

(b) Diabetes Australia estimates that:

  (i) diabetes currently costs the Australian economy around $14.6 billion per annum; and

  (ii) the cost of diabetes to the Australian economy is forecast to increase to $30 billion by 2025;

(c) Australia needs a stronger response to the challenge of diabetes;

(d) there is evidence that:

  (i) the onset of type 2 diabetes can be successfully prevented; and

  (ii) serious complications and hospitalisations from diabetes can be prevented; and

(3) commits to working towards reducing the impact of diabetes on the lives of Australians.

It is most unfortunate that the member for Moreton cannot be here today, but he is pursuing the cause of diabetes. He is currently attending the International Diabetes Federation forum in Vancouver. It is being held in conjunction with the Parliamentarians for Diabetes Global Network and the Parliamentary Champions for Diabetes Forum. It will host the second parliamentary champions forum in Vancouver just prior to World Diabetes Day. The forum has been running from 28 November and it concludes today. The member for Moreton is absolutely passionate about diabetes and he is one of the co-convenors here in this parliament.

World Diabetes Day was 14 November. This year the theme was 'Act today to change'. It was about highlighting the importance of diabetes, highlighting the importance of research, highlighting the difference that an individual can make in managing their own diabetes and highlighting information around the new technologies that have become available, such as the continuous glucose monitor.

This year, one of the key facts that was highlighted was the need to reduce free sugar consumption to less than 10 per cent of a person's daily energy intake—including foods with added sugar as well as foods with naturally occurring sugar, like honey, syrup, fruit juice and fruit concentrates. The campaign also highlighted the importance of enjoying a healthy diet rich in fresh fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, lean meat, dairy, legumes, nuts and also clean drinking water—all things that can lead to a decrease in the incidence of diabetes.

In Mr Perrett's motion, he points out the cost of diabetes to the Australian economy. It is currently costing Australia $14.6 billion per year and the projection is that it will increase to $30 billion in 2025. That places emphasis on the need to address diabetes. It places emphasis on the need to respond to the fact that there is such an increase. When we are looking at diabetes, we have to look at the cost of diabetes to our health system. The burden of disease caused by diabetes is enormous. People with diabetes are at risk of eye disease, amputations, hyperglycaemia—high levels of sugar, which cause enormous damage—and hypoglycaemia, where the person can black out and die. I once had a constituent whom in another life I was a case manager for. She was engaged to be married. They were planning the wedding. She had diabetes and her mother went around one morning and she was dead. That puts an emphasis on the importance of having that continuous glucose monitoring.

Some of the risk factors are family history; being over the age of 55 or 45; being overweight; having high blood pressure; being of Torres Strait Islander or Aboriginal descent; being over the age of 35, if you are a Pacific Islander—there is a very high incidence in the Pacific Islands—and a woman who gives birth to a child over 4.5 kilograms.

Diabetes is a very real issue that we, as a parliament, need to address. I encourage each and every member of this parliament to go back to their electorates, increase the awareness of diabetes and work within the parliament to undertake more research in react to this epidemic.

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