Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the senator's very keen interest in this issue. The prevalence of diabetes alone has more than doubled since the 1990s. Results from the latest Australian health survey indicate that 5.1 per cent of Australian adults have diabetes. While four per cent of adults have a known diabetes condition, another one per cent have an undiagnosed case of the disease. A further 3.1 per cent of adults have impaired fasting glucose levels, which indicates a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Of particular concern, diabetes has been found to be three times more common in Indigenous Australians. Tragically, Indigenous Australians are around seven times more likely to die from diabetes than other Australians.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for one in every 10 cases of the disease. Gestational diabetes occurs in more than five per cent of pregnancies in Australia. The human cost is significant and so is the cost on the Australian health system. Expenditure on diabetes is expected to increase by over 430 per cent over the next two decades. The direct cost of diabetes to our health system is currently over $1.5 billion a year.

Part of our plan is to establish a national diabetes strategy, which the Minister for Health, Peter Dutton, announced yesterday at the 2013 World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne. I also addressed the congress, and I acknowledge former Senator Guy Barnett's contribution in this area and note that he is in the chamber today. The national diabetes strategy will be supported by expert input from key stakeholders to ensure that health spending can be better targeted to address the prevention, treatment and management of this chronic disease. The strategy's advisory group will be co-chaired by the Hon. Judi Moylan and Professor Paul Zimmet. Together they bring a wealth of knowledge to diabetes prevention and medical research. The resulting policy framework will be action oriented and will focus particularly on tackling the impact of diabetes on our children.