$50m funding push for type 1 diabetes prevention, treatment

The federal government will provide more than $50 million in funding to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) over the next five years in an effort to accelerate clinical research into the prevention and treatment of type 1 diabetes.

There is no cure for the autoimmune condition, in which the pancreas no longer produces insulin, and it is not yet known what causes it.

The funding will be delivered through the JDRF’s extensive research network to support projects like a world-first study looking at how environmental factors might trigger type 1 diabetes and research into tools such as genomics and stem cells to develop personalised treatments for the condition.

Corangamite federal member Libby Coker said type 1 diabetes was responsible last year for the equivalent of about 19,000 years of healthy life lost.

“In my electorate of Corangamite alone we know that there are likely to be more than 150 people living with, or as yet undiagnosed, with type 1 diabetes.

“These statistics are truly devasting. They emphasise why we must continue to push the boundaries, explore the frontiers of science and research and work tirelessly to make sure we find a cure for this disease.”

The significant funding boost was announced at Parliament House in Canberra last month during the Kids in the House event, which brought more than 100 young people with type 1 diabetes together to speak with their local representatives about the importance of research funding.

Among them was seven-year-old JDRF ambassador and Bellarine local Harper Alard, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes three years ago.

Harper’s mother Katie Cruwys said the diagnosis had been challenging and had come with a big learning curve for the whole family, who had no previous knowledge of the condition.

“It was really rough on her, obviously, going from being a normal child who could eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, to having to now ask.

“We have to count carbs and teach her how to count carbs, she needs needles before every single time she puts something in her mouth.

“It’s not just a check your blood sugars here and there and there’s some insulin once or twice a day.”

Harper has become a passionate advocate for those with type 1 diabetes and uses her voice to help to raise awareness about the challenges people with type 1 diabetes face.

Holding back tears, Ms Cruwys celebrated the federal government’s $50 million investment into research that may find a cure or make discoveries that will ease the burden children with the condition face.

“If there could be a cure in the next five to 10 to 15 years, or even something just to help ease it… something that takes that edge off our children just that little bit, just lets them have a little bit more of a normal life, would just be amazing,” she said.