Diabetes crisis for Aboriginal Australians

Fri, 26 Mar 2010
An Australian panel has discussed the aboriginal diabetes problem in Australia and concluded that something approaching a crisis is underway. According to Aboriginal leaders, diabetes is the number one health problem amongst indigenous Australians. Half of the population could be suffering from type 2 diabetes or have pre-diabetes, according to Tony Eastley.

An indigenous diabetes forum is taking place in Melbourne this morning, with the aim of engaging corporate Australia with way to prevent diabetes. Diabetes is a major problem in indigenous communities all over the world, but in Australia it is particularly serious. The chairman of the Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce referred to the problem as the number one health issue.

Professor Paul Zimmet was reported in Australian news as commenting: "Diabetes is rampant in many communities and indeed even in the Australian general community it is over 7 per cent. We're talking up to 30 per cent of adult Indigenous people have got diabetes and probably another 20 per cent have what we call pre-diabetes which means that inevitably they are going to get type-2 diabetes . So it is very much a disaster."

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