Education, raising awareness and funding research: it’s all been part of a foundation’s work to support diabetes over the years.
Despite its success, Lions District 201N3 Diabetes Foundation, which served the wider Hunter Region, voted for a name-change in August to broaden its scope of support and attract financial help on a larger scale.
Now called Lions Australia Diabetes Foundation, it is based in Newcastle and aims to extend its services throughout the nation, as well as Papua New Guinea and Norfolk Island.
With World Diabetes Day today (Thursday 14 November), the foundation’s public relations officer, Noelene Heggart, said its principal goals remained the same.
“The primary objective of the foundation is to provide seed funding for research grants and equipment to better treat both type one and type two diabetes in children and adults of any age,” she said.
“Another form of diabetes is gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy.
“It usually ceases after birth, but some mothers’ glucose levels can still remain at a high level afterwards.”
According to Diabetes Australia, all three types of diabetes are increasing in prevalence.
Type one, in which the immune system is activated to destroy the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, accounts for 10% of all diabetes.
Type two, which sits at 85%, is a progressive condition where the body becomes resistant to the normal effects of insulin or gradually loses the capacity to produce enough insulin in the pancreas.
Gestational diabetes in pregnancy has also been on the rise.
This year’s theme for World Diabetes Day is Family and Diabetes.
The International Diabetes Foundation is raising awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family and support network of those affected.
It is also promoting the role of family in the management, care, prevention, and education of diabetes.
Email [email protected] or visit lionsclubs.org.au/members/diabetes-foundation if you would like more information about Lions Australia Diabetes Foundation.
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