Boosting Diabetes Prevention

The Western City University launched a community intervention programme that has improved the health of Australian Samoans with diabetes in south-western Sydney. 

Professor David Simmons from the School of Medicine of the university explained he was struggling to treat patients of Samoan heritage. According to statistics, Samoans have an inherited predisposition to diabetes and before this study by the Western City University, there was little research on the effectiveness of public health interventions to reduce the health risk of diabetes. 

During the programme, volunteers developed workshops and more than 100 activities covering 12 public health messages dealing with diet and exercise, which resulted in significant reductions in average blood glucose levels and healthier participants overall. 

Find out more about this SDG 3 initiative and how the study was conducted here: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/future-makers/issue-four/boosting-diabetes-prevention