Shadow Minister for Health Catherine King this evening welcomed Members of Parliament from Australia and around the world to the Parliamentary Champions for Diabetes Forum.
Held over the coming week in Melbourne, the Forum is being run in conjunction with the International Diabetes Federation’s World Diabetes Congress. The Congress will bring more than 12,000 delegates from across the world, along with over 400 internationally renowned speakers.
The Forum provides an opportunity for parliamentarians from around the world to come together to exchange policy ideas and hear from experts on the management of the diabetes epidemic.
8 per cent of the Australian population is now living with diabetes, which by some predictions will increase to 14 per cent over the next two decades.
“This is an epidemic that will require considerable planning and resources over the coming decades.”
“The Forum and the Congress provide a unique opportunity for policy makers and health experts to come together to address these challenges. The networks that will be forged over the coming days will be integral to meeting these challenges,” Ms King said.
“I particularly pay tribute to the work of co-chairs Sir Michael Hirst and Diabetes Australia Ambassador Guy Barnett in bringing the Forum together.”
More information on the Congress is available at http://www.idf.org/worlddiabetescongress