Day Month 2016
Politicians Ignore Waste in Health Funding with Lives at Stake
“The recent 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 your name, member of the Danii Foundation and parent of/Type 1 diabetic.
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 to both government and the opposition 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 politicians 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.”
“As a result the Danii Foundation has established Danii’s Army. Thousands of members are approaching their current federal member and candidates and now they are not asking but are demanding support. When it costs less to keep a child well our politicians are morally compelled to act.”
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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.