A newly elected Labor Government will make the prevention of type 2 diabetes a key focus through its ‘Health for Life! Taking Action on Diabetes’ program.
Acknowledging Diabetes Week at Rode Road Healthpoint Pharmacy in Stafford with Dr Anthony Lynham, Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Labor’s plan would target 10,000 high-risk Queenslanders.
“Diabetes is a growing problem that is damaging lives and leaving a huge burden on our health system,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“We need a renewed effort on prevention of this disease and Labor is ready to lead the charge.
“Health for Life! Taking Action on Diabetes will be a community-based prevention program run in consultation with health bodies like Diabetes Queensland and the Heart Foundation.
“It will see 10,000 high-risk Queenslanders given access to individual or small-group consultations with trained staff over an eight month period.
“These sessions will be all about lifestyle change; helping Queenslanders at risk help themselves when it comes to healthier living.
“We know that the best way to prevent diabetes is to have a healthy diet, regular physical activity and reduced alcohol consumption.
“Labor’s Health for Life! Policy is about helping high-risk Queenslanders make those changes so they can have a healthier future for themselves and their families.
“Diabetes is debilitating, but in many cases we can see it coming and do something about it before it’s too late.”
Ms Palaszczuk said there had been large increases in type 2 diabetes diagnoses’ in recent years.
“When it comes to diabetes, the statistics are alarming:
In 2007–08, an estimated 178,900 Queenslanders had a known diagnosis of diabetes, with almost as many undiagnosed cases.
On average, about 3300 new cases of insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes were diagnosed each year since 2007-08.
In the two years from 2009–11, there were 12,617 hospitalisations a year in Queensland where diabetes was the principal diagnosis.
About 60,000 hospitalisations per year are associated with diabetes.
“And the costs to our health system are staggering. Diabetes patients cost the Queensland health system almost $10,000 per patient per year when complications occur.
“By assisting 10,000 Queenslanders, the Health for Life! initiative could deliver benefits of approximately $70 million to the public health system.
“Labor has campaigned heavily against the LNP’s cuts to health prevention and the broader health system. We are committed to making health prevention a key focus of the next Labor Government.”