News from Associate Members of PDGN – national diabetes associations and other not-for-profits
The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) has launched a new campaign to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with type 2 diabetes to re-engage with their diabetes healthcare teams and their diabetes management in 2021.
Diabetes Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement Manager Chris Lee said the new campaign, Back on Track, was designed to encourage people to reconnect with their diabetes management after the significant disruptions caused by COVID-19.
The campaign is funded through the National Diabetes Services Scheme, an Australian Government initiative administered by Diabetes Australia. The campaign’s key messages urge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to:
● Check in with their diabetes health team
● Check blood sugar and take medications
● Check they are eating healthy food and being active every day
● And check they are looking after each other and taking time to look after themselves.
Mr Lee said these messages were relevant to anyone living with diabetes, not just Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but the campaign’s creative design had been developed to resonate with a First Nations audience.
“This campaign is not about pointing the finger, but rather a reminder to us all that after a really tough 2020, we need to reconnect with diabetes management in 2021,” says Chris.
Advocacy Action: Can you raise the issues surrounding the disruption COVID-19 may have caused to diabetes services? Is there a similar programme aimed at specifc groups or more generally that could draw upon the NDSS scheme?