Diabetes Australia-NSW
Diabetes Australia-NSW [1] is the leading charity in Australia dealing with diabetes and the third oldest diabetes organisation in the world. It is the regional equivalent of the American Diabetes Association and Diabetes UK.
Founded in 1937 and based in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), it helps Australians with diabetes by working to reduce the impact on their lives of the fastest growing chronic disease in the world.
It is a non-profit, non-government organisation, supported by members’ funds and donations. All funds raised are spent on research, education programs, public awareness and advocacy.
The Diabetes Australia-NSW Call Centre receives over 600 phone calls a day. Staff on-hand provide personalised and practical assistance to benefit people with diabetes and their carers. Diabetes Australia-NSW also administers the Australian government’s National Diabetes Services Scheme, which provides subsidised products to Australians who have diabetes.
Diabetes Australia-NSW is part of a federation of twelve organisations comprising the eight State and Territory Associations of Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Society, the Australian Diabetes Educators Association, the Kellion Diabetes Foundation and the Diabetes Research Foundation-Western Australia.
Diabetes statistics
In Australia
- More than three million Australians have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
- Diabetes is the fastest growing chronic disease, and is the sixth highest cause of death by disease in Australia.
- One in four Australian adults has either diabetes or impaired glucose metabolism.
- One Australian is diagnosed every seven minutes.
- In 2000-01, death rates from diabetes among Indigenous Australians were almost 15 times higher than other Australians.
- Certain overseas-born Australians have a higher prevalence of diabetes than people born in Australia.
In New South Wales
- More than 542,000 people in NSW have diabetes, but half of them don’t know it.
- The number has increased 300 per cent in the last 10 years.
- The number of people with type 2 diabetes – the so-called lifestyle disease – has doubled in just five years.
- The number of children with type 2 diabetes is increasing at between five and 10 per cent a year.
- Type 1 diabetes in children is increasing at three per cent a year.