Your DNZ
DIABETES ACTION MONTH 2021
STEP UP FOR DIABETES November is Diabetes Action Month, and our theme this year is simple and powerful. Diabetes Action Month is Diabetes New Zealand’s annual public health and awareness campaign, encouraging everyone in Aotearoa New Zealand to take action for diabetes. We’re excited to introduce this year’s theme – Step Up for Diabetes – encouraging everyone to focus on that often neglected, but so vital, part of the body: the foot. As ever, the entire month of November will be packed with community events, fun challenges, and informative discussions around the country.
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DIABETES WELLNESS | Summer 2021
PUTTING YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD
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t’s widely known that those living with any type of diabetes are at an increased risk of foot problems. This is because, over time, high blood glucose can damage your nerves and blood vessels, which can cause circulation issues and loss of feeling in your feet. Earlier this year, the report The Economic and Social Cost of Type 2 Diabetes found that diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in New Zealand, with diabetes in Aotearoa forecast to rise dramatically over the next 20 years. But the report contained good news as well. It found that regular foot checks and better foot care could prevent more than 600 diabetes-related amputations every year. Heather Verry, CEO of Diabetes NZ, says, ‘This Diabetes Action Month, we will be focusing on foot health. We’re reaching out to the quarter of a million New Zealanders with diabetes and seeking to empower them with information on how to take care of their feet to avoid preventable amputations. ‘We will also be calling on all New Zealanders to Step Up to prevent type 2 diabetes from increasing by 70% to 90% over the next 20 years – as forecast in the report The Economic and Social Cost of Type 2 Diabetes – and to help those already living with all types of diabetes to live well.’
