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2024 comes to a close

Final Board meeting for the year...check.   Final team meeting...check.   Team Christmas function...and check.   Now it's the last few days till we close the office (from Friday 20 December) after which we take two well earned weeks away from work, and re-open refreshed and energised on Monday 6 January 2025.Thanks to everyone out there we've come in contact with over the last year, it's been a busy time whether it's been through the amazing efforts of our Board of ...

Annual Activity Report for 2023-24 year

Click on the link below to download a PDF version of the latest Annual Activity Report for Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa.  April 2023 to March 2024 was another busy year in a challenging environment and the team as always did an amazing job. For the audited financials for the year period, please  look at the copy lodged with the Charities Commission on their website.  ...

Pacific Health wake-up call from the latest Health Survey

This RNZ article describes some statistics taken from the latest NZ Health survey (covering year July 2023-June 2024, involving 9719 adults/3062 children) showing the situation in relation to health is worse for Pasifika.    Actual survey results for more detailed analysis here.  This is sobering reading, and shows there is a very long way to go to get to the point where prevention of conditions such as diabetes becomes a feasible possibility and priority for some struggling famil...

SUMMIT 2024 - Shekhar Sehgal - Technology

Dr Shekhar Sehgal presented on CGM and other devices at the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Summit on 26 September 2024.   This very well received presentation was followed up by an appearance on the panel later in the session where he shared his own personal experiences.   Shekhar's session here https://youtu.be/tDi-aoS7Fq4...

SUMMIT 2024 - Panel with Type 1 technology users

A high point of our Summit at Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa Marae, was the panel with three amazing people with type 1 diabetes who generously shared their thoughts and experience on using technology.  CGM and pumps, how the devices affect real life people.   Thanks hugely to Ruby McGill, Lelea Fonua, and Shekhar Sehgal.   View here https://youtu.be/e27DYxS0WIQ ...

World Diabetes Day 2024 event in Sandringham

It was so nice to see the effort put into difference events, especially where there was collaboration between difference organisations and businesses. Here are some pics of our team from World Diabetes day.  Diana, Cassie and Marie collaborated with the Auckland Diabetes Centre at Greenlane Hospital at the event which took place at the Wesley community center market day in Sandringham.  The fat and sugar display, which is so 'old school' and we've been making for literally decades...

Do you want to support our efforts to prevent diabetes and its complications?

Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa has been working in the community for nearly 30 years to reduce the incidence of diabetes, and diabetes complications.   We run a range of programmes, carry out research, design resources, and advocate for improvements.  There is more information on what we do on our website here.To do the work we do, requires ongoing support from our community.   Examples of this include people stepping up to be trained to deliver prevention activities thems...

Publication - DCSS - Risk factors and life free of health issues

Another paper from the DCSS Audit.  This one published in BMC Medicine Yu et al. BMC Medicine (2024) 22:527, read latest version here https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03743-y  or download PDF below.  The full title is "Association between within-target risk factors and life expectancy free from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia in individuals with type 2 diabetes in New Zealand between 1994 and 2018: a multi-ethnic cohort study". Con...

SUMMIT 2024 - Kate Smallman on Youth Bariatric project

Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Clinical Director, Nurse Practitioner Kate Smallman presented on the Youth Bariatric project (running since 2020, finish end 2025).   This presentation generated plenty of excellent discussion at the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Summit held on 26 September 2024 at Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa marae in Mangere.  See the video here or click on the picture...

Summit 2024 - Kanchana Perera PhD

Video presentation prepared for the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Summit 2024 by PhD candidate Kanchana Perera.    This wasn't played at the summit itself however is for circulation to the audience....

Disparities and Inequities...risk of being widened

This article published by RNZ (originally in The Conversation) describes the situation around training issues for the newly funded technology.    Highlighted is the potential for inequities with rollout and training.  Authored by Lynne Chepulis, Hamish Crocket, Martin De Bock.  https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/531030/glucose-monitors-for-diabetes-have-finally-been-funded-but-there-s-a-problem...

SUMMIT 2024 - Gerhard Sundborn - FIZZ

Another excellent speaker from the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Summit held on 26 September 2024 at Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa marae in Mangere.  Here we have Dr Gerhard Sundborn who is an epidemiologist, researcher, senior lecturer of Population and Pacific Health at University of Auckland and longstanding Board member for Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa.   Gerhard is talking about advocacy to do with FIZZ (Fighting Sugar In Soft Drinks).   See the video here or cli...

SUMMIT 2024 - Professor Simmons on Disparities

At the Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa Summit held on 26 September 2024 at Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa marae in Mangere, keynote speaker and Patron of Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa, Distinguished Professor David Simmons, gave an overview of disparities bringing together local and international data.    https://youtu.be/yLFR8CZbxeY...

Our Diabetes Summit 2024 - a taster of what's to come

Thanks to the amazing people at Campfire Studios the videos from our 2024 Summit held at the gorgeous Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa marae in Mangere, are almost ready to be released.   We've had them split into the individual sessions for ease of viewing, so expect to see speakers Professor Simmons, Kate Smallman, Dr Shekhar Seghal, Kanchana Perera, Dr Gerhard Sundborn, and panelists Ruby Mcgill, and Lelea Fonua appear soon.   The topic this year was "Disparities, hidden imped...

Sugar, new report into Ireland's POSITIVE experience of introducing a tax

According to a report just released (September 2024) into Ireland was the 36th country to introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.  There are apparently 108 countries in total known to have introduced a tax of some similar sort on sugar-sweetened beverages, New Zealand isn't among them. The introduction of the tax in Ireland in 2018 was before the World Health Organisation (WHO) European Regional Obesity Report (June 2022) which recommended a range of policy options for obesity action, in...

MHT Diabetes Trust get behind Diabetes Awareness November 2024

This is from our friends at MHT Diabetes Trust (Manawatu, Horowhenua and Tararua Diabetes Trust) https://www.diabetestrust.org.nz/ They've got an open day on the 14th if you're in the area and a competition asking for photos of the whanau dressed in blue (see their FB page for T&Cs)...

Diabetes Awareness 2024

International Diabetes Federation (IDF) have announced the theme of 'wellbeing' for World Diabetes Day which is only two weeks away on 14 November.    The blurb from the World Diabetes Day (WDD) website reads "Millions of people with diabetes face daily challenges managing their condition at home, work, and school. They must be resilient, organised, and responsible, impacting both their physical and mental well-being. Diabetes care often focuses only on blood sugar, leaving many overwh...

Publication - Diabetes treatment satisfaction among a multi-ethnic Aotearoa New Zealand population

This publication follows up a multi-centre trial conducted in general practices and diabetes clinic sites across Aotearoa New Zealand, of which Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa was one (researchers on-site Kate Smallman and Patricia Harry).   The study was led by Rinki Murphy, our Clinical Director at the time, and included both urban and rural regions.   The aim for this part of the study was to "assess whether diabetes treatment satisfaction differs by ethnicity ...

Summit 2024 is done - thanks to everyone involved!

What a special event our fourth summit focusing on 'disparities' turned out to be on the 26th of September. We've been left with so much to reflect on after the experience.  There will be more information to follow but in the meantime we wanted to say thanks so much to everyone who attended, presented or spoke, funded, provided service for, or sent best wishes.   Special appreciation to Te Manukanuka O Hoturoa Marae for their hospitality and sharing their beautiful space. Tha...

Summit 2024 is nearly here!

We are nearly ready to open registrations for our 2024 Diabetes Summit.  We are thrilled that we are going to be welcomed onto Te Manukanuka o Hoturoa Marae at Auckland Airport on the evening of 26 September.   This is the 4th Summit we have run, each of which has had a different theme.  This time the theme running through the presentations from the excellent lineup of speakers is about disparity, something that in health has the potential to affect every aspect of diagnosis,...

Live Lightly collaboration - new recipe booklet for Plant based eating for sustainability

An exciting collaboration with the amazing forward-thinking people at Live Lightly at Auckland Council.    Have a look at the new recipe booklet done by the team, and check out the other Live Lightly activities aimed at more sustainable living.   Our community gardening with Gardens4Health fits right in here too.   Read about how eating more 'plant-powered' foods for health, also helps the environment....

Nurse Prescriber change, some nurses can prescribe more diabetes medications

Nurses (and health) have come a long way in recent years thanks to the amazing mahi of committed people who had the vision and courage and sheer stickability to push for change.   Prescribing of essential medications by nurses is one important change.  The Aotearoa College of Diabetes Nurses has announced that Nurse Prescribers, (nurses who have had extra training and can prescribe from a list of authorised medications), who work in particular roles, now have a wider range of rele...

City Mission making a difference with their food gardening, supported by Gardens4Health

It's lovely to see reports of the difference being made at City Mission through having their onsite food garden in operation, and the excellent approach of giving out kits to encourage people to grow their own food in container gardens.    As well as providing training, pictured here is our Gardens4Health team leader Ali working in the HomeGround rooftop garden (the original post for the displayed photo here.)  More on Gardens4Health involvement in HomeGround experience ...

Our newest Lifestyle team member, Marie, introduces herself

Kia ora everyone! I'm excited to share that I've recently joined Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa here in New Zealand. Originally from a small town near Berlin, Germany, I pursued my dietitian degree at the University of Greifswald, where I developed a strong passion for nutrition and health.My journey to New Zealand has been a blend of professional growth and personal adventure. During my gap year in 2017, traveling through this beautiful country, I deepened my passion for nutrition and health. It ...

Making healthy kidneys a priority

The Kidney Society team is small, but they do amazing mahi providing support to people (and their whanau and supporters) living with kidney disease in the community.  Manager of Diabetes Foundation Aotearoa, Karen Pickering, met with the new CEO of The Kidney Society, Kath Eastwood, for a discussion which was as inspiring as it was sobering.     Although damage to the kidneys potentially has multiple causes, it is a well known complication associated with diabetes.  &nbs...