"A future where diabetes can do no harm" is the vision Diabetes Australia is striving towards, and this year's National Diabetes Week 2023 was on from the 9th to the 15th of July. During this very special week, Diabetes Australia has organised various activities nationwide, raising awareness and promoting diabetes research.
A recent Australian survey suggests a worrying trend - one Australian is diagnosed with diabetes every eight minutes. Over the two decades from 2000 to 2020, the number of people with diabetes in Australia doubled, exceeding 1.3 million. More recent data further escalate this figure to 1.5 million. A significant 90% of these cases are Type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease primarily affecting older people. This condition can lead to multiple complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, and amputations of lower limbs.
Chung Wah CC hosts regular health seminars at the Balcatta and Willetton Community Hubs. These seminars invite experts from Diabetes WA, who use simple, interactive methods to help our senior clients understand the causes and complications of diabetes, as well as prevention, diagnosis, and treatment methods. Speakers explain how the body usually obtains blood sugar from food each day, which is then converted into energy. Most carbohydrates are transformed into glucose monosaccharides within a few hours. When the concentration of glucose in the blood increases, the pancreas produces and releases insulin into the bloodstream. Muscle cells then absorb this glucose from the blood for energy or storage. Diabetes occurs when the pancreas can't produce enough insulin. Causes of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes include genetics, immune system variations, environmental factors, poor diet, obesity, and lack of exercise.
Chung Wah has been servicing the WA community since 1909, dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals from diverse backgrounds. Moreover, Chung Wah CC has over 35 years of professional care experience helping seniors and people with disabilities improve their well-being and better integrate into the community. In 2023, we're promoting our theme, "Embrace, Elevate & Flourish", and build a better community for all.
