Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to be the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Diabetes and, last evening, I assisted the Parliamentary Friends of Eye Health and Vision Care in hosting an event to support Vision 2020's Eyes on Diabetes campaign. The event was also an acknowledgement of World Diabetes Day, which fell on 14 November—which was, of course, a parliamentary non-sitting day. We had the opportunity to submit ourselves to a retinal photograph, which, while identifying eye disease, is now recognised as being one of the best early identifiers of diabetes. There is obviously huge benefit in early diagnosis of diabetes, with another 100,000 Australians a year now being diagnosed as having the disease. Currently, two million Australians are dealing with diabetes. It is the leading cause of amputation, it is the leading cause of coronary heart disease and, most important, it is the leading cause of blindness.

That is why the diabetic community was so pleased with the budget announcement that non-mydriatic retinal photographs were to be funded under Medicare. This item became active on 1 November and will make a huge difference right across Australia. It is envisaged that these photography machines will be rolled out into regional and remote Indigenous communities, which, of course, are plagued by diabetes. Well done to all of those who have contributed to that and well done to the minister.