An Aboriginal-driven program to prevent, control and manage nutrition-related 'lifestyle' diseases including diabetes

The Diabetes Management and Care Program was developed by a not-for-profit, Aboriginal-run organisation, Unity of First People of Australia, to address the special needs and problems of 'lifestyle' diseases among Aboriginal people in remote Western Australia. These lifestyle diseases include type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular and chronic renal disease, and are prevalent among Indigenous Australians at higher rates than the non-Indigenous population. The Program aims to prevent these lifestyle diseases through community lifestyle modification, health promotion, early screening, and medical treatment. This article discusses the Program's objectives, its implementation in four discrete communities, initial blood sugar and cholesterol screening results, and some evaluation findings.