World Diabetes Day 2021: Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?

14 November is World Diabetes Day and a chance for us to raise awareness for the 463 million adults (1-in-11) who are living with diabetes worldwide, a number that is expected to rise to 578 million by 2030. In Australia, around 1.8 million people are living with diabetes. 1.2 million have been diagnosed and another 500,000 are estimated to live with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.  

The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021 is Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When? Millions of people living with diabetes around the world do not have adequate access to diabetes care. Through the World Diabetes Day campaign, we can shine a light on the importance of access to diabetes care, including medicine, diabetes technologies, education and support, and the need for increased government investment in diabetes care and prevention. 

Upcoming World Diabetes Day events 

Live panel discussion: 100 years of insulin innovation that never ends 

The event will be on Thursday 11 November at 7 PM AEDT.

Click here to register. 

Virtual Parliamentary Event for World Diabetes Day 2021 Access to Diabetes Care 

The Virtual Parliamentary Event marks this significant awareness day for type 1 diabetes, a lifelong and incurable condition that affects 127,000 people in Australia. Speakers are:  

• The Parliamentary Friends of Diabetes, Graham Perrett MP and Rowan Ramsey MP 
• A/Professor Marg McGill AM will present the value of telemonitoring thanks to CGM systems during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Renee Tishler and Brendan Irwin, two Australians living with type 1 diabetes, will share their personal experience.
• Dr Sof Andrikopoulos, CEO of ADS will provide the peak body perspective on the importance of access to CGM technology. 
• A/Professor Neale Cohen will discuss access to CGM technology in Australia. 

The event will be co-chaired by the Australian Diabetes Society (ADS) and is supported by Diabetes Australia, ADEA, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). 

• When: Tuesday 16 November, 2:30-3:30 PM AEDT
• Where: Zoom webinar
• RSVP: Please message hugo.twopeny@londonagency.com.au to receive the registration link.

Be part of the World Diabetes Day campaign 

You can find a selection of supporting materials on the official World Diabetes Day website. The materials include logos, posters, infographics, web banners, and social media visuals. All materials are available in English, French, and Spanish. Share them with your community to help spread the message of this year’s campaign: Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When? 

How you can help spread the word 

• Read and share the World Diabetes Day toolkit: The toolkit includes information about World Diabetes Day, key messages, and diabetes facts and figures. 
• Share the World Diabetes Day social media visuals, web banners or infographics with your online community. 
• Print the World Diabetes Day posters and hang them up at your workplace or in your practice. 
• Use the blue circle selfie app: The blue circle is the universal symbol for diabetes.   
• Help people learn their potential risk of type 2 diabetes with the World Diabetes Day online test. 

For more ideas on how to get involved, click here.