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The Unity of First People of Australia's(UFPA) diabetes
management and care programme
While diabetes amongst Indigenous Australians appears to have been non-existent
before colonisation, today diabetes has become the leading accelerator
of mortality in Indigenous Australians . Dialysis (due to the complication
of renal failure), is the most common reason for hospital admission of
Indigenous people in Australia .
To address these problems, the Unity of First People of Australia, a
not-for-profit Aboriginal-run organisation, commenced the Diabetes Management
and Care Program in remote Aboriginal communities in Western Australia.
The Diabetes Management and Care program aims to arrest the rising incidence
of diabetes in indigenous communities by working with the community to
develop a community-owned and managed sustainable Community Health Plan.
The basis of the plan is the prevention, management, treatment and care
of diabetes and promotes a whole change of lifestyle behaviours.
Each project is undertaken at the invitation of the Community Council
and requires the support of a range of people within the community such
as the local council, local school, women’s groups, community store,
as well as local community carers specifically trained to ensure that
family members continue with the relevant aspects of the Plan. By training
diabetes educators and encouraging strong support for changes to a healthier
and fitter lifestyle, the Diabetes Management and Care program ensures
that Indigenous Australians take responsibility for their own health and
well being.
The Diabetes Program in the remote Kimberley communities is already showing
strong signs of becoming sustainable with noticeable impacts on the communities
supported by the program. The model of working with, educating and encouraging
the Indigenous communities’ ownership and management of the Diabetes
Program will assist in working towards the program’s sustainability
in the long-term.
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