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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-10-29 Daily Xml
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WALK TO CURE DIABETES

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:21): I rise today to speak about the Walk to Cure Diabetes, which took place on Sunday 12 October. I, along with many state and federal MPs, completed the 5 kilometre beach walk from Glenelg to Brighton and back to raise awareness of, and help find a cure for, type 1 diabetes. This is the second year a bipartisan South Australian parliamentary team was organised, and it was great to have a large group of around 40 taking part.

I am proud to say that the South Australian pollies' team included many state colleagues, including Chloe Fox, Duncan McFetridge, Paul Holloway, Leon Bignell, Paul Caica, Vicki Chapman and Isabel Redmond, while federal parliamentarians included Kate Ellis, Senator Anne McEwen, Senator Dana Wortley, Senator Don Farrell and Andrew Southcott. Many staff, family and friends. also participated. The walk was opened by the Minister for Youth, Ms Kate Ellis.

The Walk to Cure Diabetes is an annual event for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and it is one of the organisation's biggest and most popular events. Tens of thousands of people across Australia walk together during October, united in the mission to find a cure for type 1 diabetes. JDRF is the largest non-profit contributor to type 1 diabetes research world wide, with global funding in excess of $137 million in the past financial year, and JDRF's rapidly advancing knowledge of the disease and improvements in its treatments are testament to the value of the JDRF-funded research.

We have come a long way in finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. Today there are 30 human clinical trials compared to five at the beginning of the decade. Two successful islet cell transplants on Australian patients have occurred in the past year, reducing those patients' dependence on insulin. Clinical trials have maintained normal blood sugar levels in patients over a 36-hour period using an artificial pancreas made up of an insulin pump, a continuous blood glucose monitor, and a computer algorithm. There is also currently a national trial in progress to find a vaccine to prevent the onset of diabetes using inhalable insulin. JDRF researchers have also developed new treatments to reverse diabetes-related complications such as heart disease and kidney failure. With all these developments and increased funding, it is not a matter of if but when a cure will be found.

I am pleased to say that the Rudd government is also committed to supporting children with type 1 diabetes. In the recent budget $5.5 million was committed over four years to make insulin pump technology more affordable for working families who have a child suffering from type 1 diabetes. Insulin pump therapy is an optimal treatment for young people with type 1 diabetes, and from 1 November insulin pumps will be subsidised, potentially benefiting around 170 Australians under the age of 18 each year. That is around 700 families over the four years.

The subsidy and the provision of pumps will be managed through a grant agreement between the government and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The government will work with JDRF, industry suppliers and other stakeholders to ensure that insulin pumps can be sourced and fitted in a timely manner and the recipients receive appropriate support.

In closing, I would like to thank and congratulate all team members who participated in this year's walk. It was a great bipartisan effort which raised close to $4,000. I would also like to thank my colleagues, who generously supported the team and me. The team's success would not have been possible without their help. JDRF is a very efficient charity, so everyone can be sure that their donation is making a real contribution.

The Walk to Cure Diabetes, with the pollies' team participating, has become an annual event on the parliamentary community calendar, and I look forward to supporting the cause next year.

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