This Diabetes Awareness Week 2025, NACCHO is urging the nation to look beyond the headlines and acknowledge the lived experience and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living with diabetes. The progress is real. But the crisis is not over.
Over the past two decades, death rates from diabetes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have dropped from 100 per 100,000 people in 2008 to 70 per 100,000 in 2019. This progress is a testament to the power of community-led health, driven by Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) who know what works for their people.
Yet despite these gains, diabetes continues to cast a long shadow. Diabetes is responsible for 7.3% of all deaths among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with a death rate nearly five times higher than that of non-Indigenous Australians. Australia’s rates of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are among the highest in the world. “For our kids, this is not just a statistic, it’s a reality,” says Dr Jason Agostino, NACCHO Medical Advisor. “Youth-onset type 2 diabetes is increasing, and with early detection and treatment, we can support people to live healthy lives and avoid complications such as kidney failure and dialysis.”
There’s progress to celebrate. ACCHO’s are providing care to more patients with diabetes, and more than 5,500 additional people with diabetes attending our services have their blood sugar on target today compared to just four years ago, thanks to innovations such as point-of-care testing and increased access to new therapies and technologies. However, Dr Agostino cautions, “Diabetes rarely occurs in isolation and is strongly associated with kidney disease. Most people starting dialysis in our communities have diabetes, and many also live with heart or liver disease. While management is improving, the complex needs of our people require long-term investment and a tailored approach.”
NACCHO Chair Donnella Mills says the story of diabetes is also a story of determination and hope. “Every improvement, every life changed, comes from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people leading the solutions, for our families and for the next generation. But the numbers tell us there is still so much to do. This Diabetes Awareness Week, we’re calling on government and partners to invest in what works so that we can turn today’s progress into tomorrow’s healthy futures.”
NACCHO CEO Pat Turner is unequivocal about what’s needed: “The message is clear: the solutions are in community hands. Now is the time for government and partners to step up, back Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership, and help us close the gap for good. We’ve proven community control works, now we need real, long-term commitment and funding to finish the job.”
This Diabetes Awareness Week, NACCHO is calling for urgent, long-term investment in community-led diabetes prevention, screening, and ACCHO-led care. Expanding access to advanced therapies, continuous glucose monitoring, and the latest technology must be a national priority, especially for children and young people. Supporting mothers, children, and families is critical to breaking the cycle of intergenerational diabetes, and building a strong ACCHO workforce will ensure care reaches those who need it most. Only by backing these solutions can we create lasting change and close the gap in diabetes outcomes.
Diabetes Awareness Week serves as a powerful reminder that progress occurs when communities take the lead. The future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, and truly closing the gap depends on listening to, investing in, and backing community-driven solutions.
