Minister Ley Ignores Health Waste with Lives at Stake

3 May 2016

Minister Ley Ignores Health Waste with Lives at Stake
“Today’s Budget has delivered nothing for 140,000 Type 1 diabetics who suffer from an auto-immune disease that unlike Type 2 Diabetes cannot be reversed through diet and exercise.” said Donna Meads-Barlow, founder of the Danii Foundation.

The Danii Foundation is a national body dedicated to improving the lives of Type 1 Diabetics and their families, founded after the death of Daniella Meads-Barlow aged 17.

Daniella died in her sleep as a result of Nocturnal Hypoglycemia, an unnecessary death that claims at least another young Australian every week.

“The Foundation has stridently advocated for funding to prevent unnecessary deaths and ensure the best management of Type 1 Diabetes through Continuous Glucose Monitoring. Currently detection of blood sugar levels is via an archaic finger pick.”

“The Danii foundation made a compelling argument in its budget submission demonstrating how funding CGM could reduce waste in our public hospital setting, via unnecessary admissions, and horrific morbidity including limb amputation, blindness and kidney failure.”

“Only a reckless and uncaring Government would ignore ongoing waste and deny Australians, many children the best technology to manage such an insidious disease, one that has no cure, with much of its cause also unknown.”

“An extensive international literature review demonstrates the risk of a Type 1 diabetic dying in their sleep is between 4.7 and 27.3% of deaths to T1D’s. In real terms this means anywhere between 7,000 and 28,000 Australians go to bed every night not knowing if they will wake the next morning.” Donna Meads-Barlow”

“The number of parents and close family members constitute many thousands more, living with the daily dread of their loved one dying in their sleep. CGM technology takes that fear away. Something the Turnbull Government has chosen not to support.”

The financial cost to the Australian taxpayer is also significant. While the direct cost of diabetes is estimated at around 1.7 billion; the Australian National Diabetes Strategy estimates the full cost of diabetes may be as high as $14 billion, and includes reduced productivity, absence from work, early retirement, premature death and bereavement.

THE DANII FOUNDATION: The Face of Type 1 Diabetes Across Australia
www.danii.org.au

Contact: Justine Caines 0408 21 02 73