Renza Scibilia is Diabetes Community Manager, she has lived with type 1 diabetes for the past 22 years. She is a well-known diabetes patient advocate and activist, promoting a person-centred approach to healthcare, and in the development of diabetes information, services and technologies.
National Diabetes Week this year is from July 12 – 18. This year’s campaign is about diabetics and their mental health situation during COVID-19 pandemic, Let’s Talk About Diabetes and Mental Health.
“So, we know that people have been impacted extra by COVID-19, it’s disrupted their access to diabetes services and also if we get COVID we’re at a higher risk of complications of the condition and it’s going to be harder for us to recover from,” Ms Scibilia told SBS Kurdish.
There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Both types of diabetes are chronic diseases that affect the way your body regulates blood sugar, or glucose. Glucose is the fuel that feeds your body’s cells, but to enter your cells it needs a key. Insulin is that key.
People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin. You can think of it as not having a key. People with type 2 diabetes don’t respond to insulin as well as they should and later in the disease often don’t make enough insulin. You can think of this as having a broken key.
Both types of diabetes can lead to chronically high blood sugar levels. That increases the risk diabetes complications.
Ms Scibilia said the message to the general public during this week's National Diabetes Week is that diabetes is a serious condition and not easy to manage.
“What we want to highlight this week is that people with diabetes is that we understand that these mental health implications of diabetes are significant and the general population to understand that diabetes is very serious and very hard to manage.”
If you or anyone you know is feeling overwhelmed and finding it hard to cope due to the current crisis, counselling help is available at:
For health-related advice and questions, you can visit the national , or can call their helpline 24 hours, seven days a week on .
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
