Published online: 26 May 2017
Note: data presented here should be used with caution as a recent revision made to the VDR algorithm has resulted in a reduction in totals. For this reason, it is important that the updated numbers are not compared with numbers derived from any previous version of the VDR. Any comparison may result in artificial and inaccurate trends.
Each year the New Zealand Ministry of Health releases national estimates of the prevalence of diabetes based on the VDR. The VDR is an important tool to monitor prevalence of diabetes and support national and local clinical quality improvements.
The VDR contains data about people suspected as having diabetes, identified through their use of diabetes health services. The VDR uses an algorithm to identify these people in data extracted from inpatient, outpatient, laboratory test and pharmaceutical dispensing data collections. The VDR is collated annually at the end of March and national and regional diabetes prevalence estimates are calculated based on the number of people on the VDR as at 31 December of the previous year. People with diabetes who were deceased and those not enrolled in a PHO were excluded from the totals.
Virtual Diabetes Register 2017 revision
In 2016 the algorithm used to create the VDR was assessed against the Auckland TestSafe repository of test results. As a result, improvements to the algorithm were made in early 2017 to create the latest version of the VDR. A comparison of the numbers from the old VDR and the latest version (new VDR) is shown in the chart below.
Number of people suspected as having diabetes, on the old VDR and the new VDR, 2005–2016
Old VDR | New VDR | |
---|---|---|
2005 | 137,815 | 136,660 |
2006 | 147,525 | 144,747 |
2007 | 158,478 | 154,334 |
2008 | 171,025 | 165,837 |
2009 | 182,745 | 176,389 |
2010 | 196,134 | 187,860 |
2011 | 210,759 | 200,235 |
2012 | 224,908 | 211,591 |
2013 | 238,890 | 220,866 |
2014 | 251,478 | 228,790 |
2015 | 260,458 | 236,073 |
2016 | - | 241,463 |
Note: People who were either not enrolled in a PHO or deceased, as at 31/12 of the relevant year, are excluded.
It is important to note that numbers produced by the old VDR algorithm are now obsolete and should not be used nor compared to the numbers produced by the new VDR algorithm. From now onwards, please use the numbers published here or request updated numbers or datasets from data-enquiries@moh.govt.nz.
DHB of domicile | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auckland | 18,573 | 19,647 | 20,657 | 21,718 | 22,836 | 23,867 | 24,508 |
Bay of Plenty | 9507 | 9917 | 10,241 | 10,433 | 10,537 | 10,330 | 10,391 |
Canterbury | 18,103 | 18,706 | 19,467 | 20,075 | 20,664 | 21,261 | 21,959 |
Capital and Coast | 9393 | 10,788 | 11,899 | 12,436 | 12,805 | 13,119 | 13,350 |
Counties Manukau | 27,845 | 29,877 | 32,092 | 34,430 | 36,927 | 39,007 | 40,266 |
Hawke's Bay | 6797 | 7080 | 7494 | 7865 | 8025 | 8181 | 8370 |
Hutt Valley | 5812 | 6575 | 7211 | 7467 | 7699 | 7866 | 7903 |
Lakes | 4340 | 4547 | 4793 | 4928 | 5178 | 5430 | 5589 |
MidCentral | 6814 | 7453 | 7797 | 7953 | 8120 | 8331 | 8446 |
Nelson Marlborough | 5282 | 5577 | 5686 | 5786 | 5933 | 6022 | 6080 |
Northland | 8515 | 8908 | 9605 | 10,425 | 10,734 | 10,844 | 10,952 |
South Canterbury | 2763 | 2862 | 2969 | 3016 | 3040 | 3107 | 3150 |
Southern | 12,002 | 12,672 | 13,206 | 13,525 | 13,578 | 13,804 | 14,146 |
Tairāwhiti | 2621 | 2919 | 3098 | 3241 | 3357 | 3444 | 3388 |
Taranaki | 6205 | 6347 | 6510 | 6597 | 6659 | 6767 | 6781 |
Waikato | 16,548 | 17,396 | 18,125 | 18,895 | 19,637 | 20,406 | 20,998 |
Wairarapa | 1919 | 2075 | 2198 | 2218 | 2228 | 2223 | 2199 |
Waitemata | 20,296 | 22,136 | 23,651 | 24,959 | 25,908 | 27,020 | 27,796 |
West Coast | 1195 | 1226 | 1213 | 1204 | 1192 | 1254 | 1305 |
Whanganui | 3045 | 3255 | 3420 | 3471 | 3533 | 3616 | 3744 |
Unknown/Unassigned | 285 | 272 | 259 | 224 | 200 | 174 | 142 |
Total | 187,860 | 200,235 | 211,591 | 220,866 | 228,790 | 236,073 | 241,463 |
Note: People who were either not enrolled in a PHO or deceased, as at 31/12/2016, were excluded.
Source: VDR Dec 2010–2016 (v686)