Campaigns - 13 July 2018

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on 14 November. It is the leading global diabetes awareness and advocacy campaign, officially recognised by the United Nations and led by the International Diabetes Federation. The theme for 2018 World Diabetes Day is The Family and Diabetes.
Diabetes Victoria is supporting this campaign with the message:

My diabetes family.

Diabetes concerns every family. More than 328,000 Victorians live with and a further 125,000 Victorians have undiagnosed diabetes. Almost 80 people in Victoria develop the condition every day. With diabetes on the rise, it’s likely that everybody will know someone with diabetes.

Funding vital diabetes research

The Diabetes Australia Research Program (DARP) was established in 1987 to support and develop diabetes-related research. This national, competitive and peer-reviewed program provides funding towards the prevention, management and (hopefully) a cure for all types of diabetes, by enabling and fostering world-class diabetes researchers.

On the eve of World Diabetes Day, Diabetes Victoria will announce the successful Victorian research projects which will receive funding in 2019. The total funding pool will comprise $3.6 million, to which Diabetes Victoria has contributed $1.4 million. This builds on a very proud record whereby Diabetes Victoria has contributed almost $17 million since 2000.

The Victorian DARP recipients were acknowledged at this function by key note speaker Susan Alberti AC, the 2018 Victorian of the Year Award Winner, and the Hon Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria and Patron of Diabetes Victoria.

A recap of the evening's proceedings can be found here.

Blue Monument Challenge

Along with diabetes organisations throughout the world, Diabetes Victoria participates in the 'Blue Monument Challenge' on World Diabetes Day. This challenge was launched in 2007 and since then, thousands of iconic sites and buildings in over 80 countries have gone blue to raise awareness about diabetes.

This year, Diabetes Victoria will light up the façade of the Melbourne Town Hall in blue.

What YOU can do this World Diabetes Day

• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay up to date on all our World Diabetes Day activities and family stories.
• If you’re in Melbourne on 14 November; join us as we shine a light on diabetes at the Melbourne Town Hall. Don’t forget take a few pics and share using the hashtags #wdd2018 and #mydiabetesfamily – remember to tag us too!
• Share your My diabetes family story on World Diabetes Day and have a chance to win a $400 Mantra voucher for a My diabetes family holiday. All photos/posts from shared by Australias social media users with the #mydiabetesfamily hashtag, that are posted on World Diabetes Day, will go into the draw – good luck!

Need some inspiration? Read 10 year old Justin's My Diabetes Family story.