Detect

Early detection of type 2 diabetes is important because around one in 4 adults aged 25+ years remain undiagnosed

Further, only about 55% of adults are screened for type 2 diabetes by their GPs and the screening rate is even lower for men, for people living in rural and remote communities, and for those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.

Diabetes SA has been committed to increasing public awareness about the risk factors related to all forms of diabetes and screening high-risk populations for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes (including prediabetes). Since 2019, we have worked collaboratively with several key philanthropic charities to co-design strong and sustainable Type 2 Awareness and Screening Programs.

While the work with each partner has focussed on different but all underserved, priority populations within South Australia, the main aims are similar and include:

• Deliver culturally sensitive and safe community-based awareness and screening activities to increase awareness around the risk factors of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and provide an opportunity for people to access to health checks for early detection of the condition.
• Provide people with an opportunity to access clinical education, resources and support (including referral pathways) from diabetes specialist trained health professionals who can help people build skills around healthy lifestyle habits and reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes or diabetes-related complications.

Impact from our most recent major partnerships in the area of diabetes detection are highlighted below.

The Flagship Masonic Charities Trust Type 2 Diabetes Detection Program.

Over the past five years, the partnership between Diabetes SA and the Freemasons SA & NT has played a vital role in reducing the impact of type 2 diabetes across South Australia.

In total, 92 awareness and screening events – 67 in country and 25 in metropolitan areas of SA – have been conducted, reaching 1,648 attendees and screening 1,019 participants using the AUSDRISK tool. Of the 814 who had an AUSDRISK score of 12 or more, 815 people had a point of care HbA1c test and from that a total of 139 participants were determined to have prediabetes or undiagnosed type 2 diabetes (approximately 17% of those screened).

Diabetes SA remains committed to expanding the reach and effectiveness of this collaborative effort, and the insights gained through this work continue to be highly valued.

Reducing the Incidence and Impact of Type 2 Diabetes in Priority Populations: In Partnership with Preventive Health SA and Local Stakeholders

Diabetes SA is proud to partner with Preventive Health SA to develop and implement an evidence-based initiative aimed at reducing the incidence and impact of type 2 diabetes among priority populations in South Australia.

People from many Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are two or more times more likely to develop chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes. High-risk South Australian communities, particularly those that are home to Asian, Southern-European, Middle Eastern, African, Pacific Islander, and Aboriginal populations, face disparities in accessing health care, including diabetes education, screening, and management, leading to poor health outcomes. Barriers such as language, cultural differences, limited health literacy, community acceptance, generational trauma and stigma can contribute to these disparities.

Supported by a three-year grant from Preventive Health SA, Diabetes SA will work collaboratively with stakeholders from CALD and Aboriginal communities to address barriers that affect timely and quality healthcare for high-risk populations. The initiative’s goal is to raise awareness using culturally tailored and appropriate information and education on the risk factors for type 2 diabetes. Increased risk awareness enables access to health checks and early detection of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. It also provides people an opportunity for early intervention and access to information, resources, and support from health professionals (including referral pathways) to build skills around nutrition, physical activity, mental health and wellbeing; this can prevent or delay progression to more serious diabetes-related complications including heart disease, kidney failure, vision loss, amputation and mental health conditions.

This partnership between Diabetes SA and Preventive Health SA reflects our shared commitment to health equity and community-led solutions to improve the health outcomes of several of South Australia’s most vulnerable communities.