ADEA congratulates the government on funding to help children with type 1 diabetes to access insulin pumps

Media release

Wednesday 24 October 2013

More children with type 1 diabetes will have access to insulin pumps thanks to funding announced recently by the federal Minister for Health, the Hon Peter Dutton.

The new total funding allocation of $1.4 million will provide insulin pump subsidies for an additional 136 children under the Type 1 Diabetes Insulin Pump Program. In addition to the 68 pumps already available under the program, this will now benefit over 200 children and their families over the next year.

“The Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) congratulates the government on making  this funding available. The funding allows more children with type 1 diabetes to have access to these small devices to improve management of their diabetes and assist them and their families to have a better quality of life with diabetes,” Dr Joanne Ramadge, CEO of the ADEA, said.

“We would also like to see all children have access to these pumps and funding made available for young adults with type 1 diabetes. The transition for children to young adult in management of their diabetes can be very difficult especially if they are used to using a pump and can no longer afford to continue this due to lack of funding,” Dr Ramadge said.

Insulin pumps can range in cost from $4,500 to $9,500 which can be a huge financial impact to families with young children and to young adults who are studying or starting out in the workforce.

The new funding will make this therapy more affordable for young families in Australia with the program covering up to 80 percent of the costs.

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Type 1 diabetes and children

• Among the 34 countries that are currently members of the Organisation for Economic Cooporation and Development (OECD), Australia had the 7^th highest prevalence and 6^th highest incidence (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2010) of type 1 diabetes in children aged 0-14 years.[i]
• More than 5,700 Australian children aged 0-14 years had type 1 diabetes in 2008.[ii]
• Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. It occurs more frequently than cancer, cystic fibrosis, multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy.[iii]
• Approximately 1,825 Australian are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every year.ⁱⁱⁱ
• Incidence is increasing at 3.2 percent each year. ⁱⁱⁱ
• In Australia, around 95 percent of the diabetes found in children is type 1 diabetes. ⁱⁱⁱ

About the Australian Diabetes Educators Association

The ADEA is the leading Australian organisation for health professionals who provide diabetes education and care. There are more than 1000 Credentialled Diabetes Educators working across community, private practices and hospitals in Australia.

The association actively promotes evidenced-based diabetes education to ensure optimal health and wellbeing for those affected by and/or at risk of diabetes and sets standards and develops guidelines for the practice of diabetes education.

The ADEA also offers professional development programs and accredits those programs developed by other organisations.

For further information about the ADEA visit www.adea.com.au.

Media contact: Dr Joanne Ramadge

CEO, Australian Diabetes Eudcators Association

P. 02 6173 1002  |  M. 0402 897 300  |  E. Joanne.Ramadge@adea.com.au

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