Living Well with Diabetes

Diabetes is a priority long-term condition. The high personal and social costs associated with this condition present a serious health challenge both now and in the future.

The health sector has worked hard in recent years to identify those at risk of developing diabetes sooner and to improve the quality of services for people already living with diabetes, however more can be done. 

A medium-term plan is needed to ensure all New Zealanders with diabetes, or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, are living well and have access to high-quality, people centred health services. This vision is set out in Living Well with Diabetes: A health care plan for people at high risk of or living with diabetes 2015–2020.

The plan’s overarching objectives are to:

• reduce the personal burden of disease for people with diabetes by providing integrated services along with the tools and support that people need to manage their health
• provide consistent and sustainable services across the country that improve health outcomes and equity for all New Zealanders, and better use of health information
• reduce the cost of diabetes on the public health system and the broader societal impact in the longer term.