Global Report Presented To Parliamentarians In Australia To Elevate Debate On Diabetes Pandemic
DOHA, Qatar, June 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, has partnered with the Parliamentarians for Diabetes Global Network (PDGN), a major advocacy programme of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), to present its Diabetes report to Parliamentarians in Australia and elevate the diabetes debate on the national policy agenda.
Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease in Australia. Over 1.7 million people have diabetes with nearly half of the cases of Type 2 Diabetes remaining undiagnosed. The total cost to the nation is estimated at AU$10.3 billion. By 2031 the numbers affected are projected to exceed 3.3 million Australians.
The report, "Rising To The Challenge: Preventing and Managing Type 2 Diabetes", was presented by Stephen Colagiuri, Professor of Metabolic Health and Director of The Boden Institute at the University of Sydney, at the second WISH summit which took place in February in Qatar.
The report warns that the consequences of diabetes which include heart disease, stroke, blindness and premature death, are more severe than generally recognised, and calls on policymakers around the world to act to prevent the alarming rise in prevalence rates.
The report was distributed to all Members of Parliament to further raise the profile of the condition and inspire stakeholders to action.
Mr Ken Wyatt AM MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Diabetes Support Group, said: "Diabetes is fast becoming a worldwide epidemic and it is our role to raise awareness about the seriousness of the issue, promote prevention and early detection, and advocate for ways to improve care, support and management of diabetes. The WISH report puts a spotlight on this devastating illness and we are delighted to be working closely with WISH to help stem the tide of diabetes in Australia and beyond."
Professor The Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH and Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London, said: "Combatting rising rates of diabetes should be a worldwide priority. We must act now to prevent the disease before it becomes unmanageable for future generations. I am delighted that Parliamentarians in Australia will be reviewing our report to consider its recommendations which we hope will inform action on the diabetes pandemic for the benefit of the Australian population."
To download the report visit http://www.wish.org.qa
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