Upfront: Winter 2021

OUR FUNDRAISING HEROES

In 2021, we're off to a great start fundraising-wise!

Diabetes New Zealand extends a huge thank you to everyone who has walked, run, rode or set themselves some other challenge to raise money for diabetes – or raise all-important awareness – this year. Of course, our fundraising heroes need their support crews and their donors, so we’d like to thank all of you as well.

Special hats off to the teams who had their fundraising plans derailed by the Auckland lockdown this year. This was a massive disappointment, but it was wonderful to see the way donors still showed their support by giving anyway.

This year, Diabetes Wellness will continue to bring readers inspiring stories of the fundraisers who are going the extra kilometre (or 100) for diabetes. Thank you to everyone who is continuing to find amazing ways to contribute to our communities. We couldn’t do it without you.

Young rally car driver Jordan Grant raised awareness for diabetes at the 2021 NZRC Otago Rally in April by having his rally car painted with the Diabetes NZ Youth logo.

MAJOR HEALTH REFORMS: HOPE ON THE HORIZON FOR ALL TYPES OF DIABETES?

On 21 April, Health Minister Andrew Little announced major changes to New Zealand’s health system.

All 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) will be replaced by one national health body, Health New Zealand, to fund and run the health system.

A new Māori health authority will be created, with power to commission health services, monitor the state of Māori health, and develop policy.

The Ministry of Health will become an advisory and policy agency only.

A new Public Health agency will be created within the Ministry of Health.

The DHB system has, over time, created duplication, inconsistency, and unnecessary bureaucracy between regional healthcare organisations.

For those with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and pre-diabetes, this has meant major disparities in care and access to services from region to region. It’s hoped that these health system reforms will result in improved care for people with diabetes in all regions and the end to “the postcode lottery” that the diabetes community has been dealing with for so long.

Young adults with type 1 diabetes falling through the cracks

Earlier this year, a new study* and subsequent media reports revealed that seven of New Zealand’s 20 district health boards don’t offer specialist care for emerging adults – those aged 15 to 25 – who live with diabetes. And, even in those DHBs that do, the services may be minimal and understaffed.

This is extremely worrying. As the study says, “In New Zealand and worldwide, emerging adulthood is typically the period of worst glycaemic control in the lifespan due to the high prevalence of psychosocial stressors and increased insulin resistance of puberty and risk-taking behaviours. In addition, the glycaemic control of emerging adults with diabetes in New Zealand often deteriorates due to the loss of support from family and friends from moving regions, the failure of support from paediatric services to extend to emerging adulthood and the loss of public funding for insulin pump therapy as glycaemic targets are no longer met.”

The study, by Ryan Paul and Vicki Corbett, concludes that New Zealand is falling well short of international guidelines on care for young adults with type 1.

*‘The clinical workforce caring for emerging adults with diabetes in New Zealand is under resourced’. NZ Medical Journal. Vol 134 No 1529: 5 February 2021.

WHAT WOULD GOOD YOUNG ADULT CARE LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

Diabetes Wellness would love to hear from young adults with type 1 about what you think a good care system would look like. What healthcare support are you receiving now, and how would you improve it? If you could design a perfect diabetes healthcare system for those who are going through what you are, what would it be?

With the hope offered by the new health reforms, we at Diabetes New Zealand think it’s important to start talking now about what we would like the future of care to look like.

Email us at editor@diabetes.org.nz.