NUR3101: Primary Health Care Policies and Diabetes in Australia

This report provides an evaluation of Australia's National Diabetes Strategy (NDS) within the context of Primary Health Care (PHC). It identifies and analyzes the NDS as a key strategy for addressing diabetes, examining its alignment with the World Health Organization's (WHO) five key principles of PHC, including equitable distribution of health resources, appropriate technology, health promotion, community participation, and a multisectoral approach. The report discusses determinants of health such as equity and social justice, highlighting how factors like socioeconomic status and access to education influence diabetes prevalence, particularly among marginalized groups like Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Epidemiological factors, including the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Australia and its correlation with age, gender, and geographic location, are also examined. The report further explores the significance of these findings to nursing practice, emphasizing the roles and responsibilities of nurses in diabetes management and patient education.

Running head: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT
NUR3101 Primary Health Care in the global context
Author Name(s)
Institution
Author Note
Australia’s current key strategies in Primary Health Care policies directed towards the issue of
Diabetes.

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT 1
Abstract
The main approaches to the management of diabetes are focused on exercise, diet, and treatment
through drugs. Since these approaches focus more on changing the lifestyle, education becomes
one of the key strategies on effective management. The purpose of the education is to increase
awareness on both the prevention and informing people under medication on how to live a
healthier life for the efficacy of the drugs. Despite that, some determinants of health can also be a
contributor to the prevalence of diabetes. This paper intends to discuss the issue of diabetes in
Australia. It mainly intends to focus on the National Diabetes Strategy, the determinants of
health and epidemiological factors that lead to the prevalence.
Keywords: Diabetes, Determinants of Health, Primary Health Care

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT 2
Primary Health Care Policies and Strategies in Diabetes
Through the Australian new National Diabetes Strategy (NDS), the Australian
government has been able to come up with different strategies for supporting and monitoring
patients’ blood glucose. This paper intends to identify and evaluate NDS as a key strategy for the
issues of diabetes in Australia Primary Health Care policies. The paper will also evaluate the
determinants of health such as equity and social justice and epidemiological factors associated
with diabetes.
National Diabetes Strategy in Australian Primary Health Care
The World Health Organization (WHO) approved the implementation of primary health
care (PHC) as the most effective approach in the delivery of health care services. The PHC
advocates for the five key principles in care which are; equitable distribution of health resources,
appropriate technology in health, a focus on the promotion of health and prevention of diseases,
community participation, and a multisectoral approach (Berman et al., 2014).
The NDS is the Key framework in Australia that the government developed to overcome
the various barriers for improving care for diabetes (Australia Department of Health[ADH],
2015). From the key principles of PHC, the NDS has developed five principles and goals for
tackling diabetes. One of the NDS principles is improving cooperation and collaboration to
enhance health outcomes. This principle is developed around the PHC principle of multisectoral
approach and community participation. NDS also requires integration and coordination of the
services for care across settings, sectors, services, and technology. Again, this principle is
grounded on the PHC principle of multisectoral approach where NDS encourages all
stakeholders to take an integrated approach in ensuring that care is available to the Australian
people. The third principle emphasizes facilitating self-management and person-centered care in

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT 3
one’s life. In PHC, this is covered under the promotion of health and prevention of diseases
where NDS educates people to make them aware of the risk factors of diabetes. The fourth
principle of NDS focuses on reducing health inequalities. In PHC, WHO emphasizes on the
equitable distribution of health resources. The NDS implements this goal by having a special
focus on Aboriginal and Torres and other priority groups.
Along with the principles, the NDS has seven main goals which are based on the five key
principles of PHC. Goal 1 focuses on prevention of people from developing type 2 diabetes by
undertaking population- and community-based approaches to diabetes which are aimed at
preventing and enabling a healthier lifestyle. According to (World Health Organization [WHO],
2019), prevention of diseases is a specific population – or individual-based interventions aimed
at early detection of the disease, prevention or minimizing the risk factors associated with the
disease.
Goal 2 focuses on the promotion of awareness and earlier detection of both type 1 and 2
diabetes. The work of McManus (2013) states that health promotion follows the rationale that
providing the public with specific information regarding a health issue can reduce the risk of and
improve their health. Goal 3 focuses on reducing diabetes-related complications and improving
patient’s quality of life. According to ADH (2015), high-quality care for diabetes involves
working together among health care professionals, communities, specialist care providers, direct
consumers (people with diabetes), carers and family involvement. In line with the principles of
PHC, this rationale is covered under the principles of community participation and a
multisectoral approach. Goal 4 focuses on reducing the impacts of gestational diabetes in
pregnancy. This goal also focuses on prevention of diabetes and promotion of health which is a
principle in PHC. Within goal 5, the NDS incorporates the principle of equitable distribution of

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT 4
health resources. This goal focuses mainly on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander who are
the marginalized communities in Australia. In addition to goal 5, goal 6 focus on reducing the
impacts of diabetes among the priority groups. These are also groups are at risk of suffering
health inequalities dues to their weakness in society. Lastly, Goal 7 focuses on strengthening the
prevention and care of diabetic persons through research, evidence, and data. This one
demonstrates the implementation of the fifth principle which is the use of appropriate technology
in health.
Epidemiology of Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the major global health issues that is marked among the largest
epidemics through history (Zimmet, Alberti, Magliano, & Bennett, 2016). In the latest report by
(Australian Institute of Health and Welfare[AIHW], 2018), about 1.2 million (6%) people in
Australian above 18 years diabetes in a 2014–15 self-reported data. An earlier report had also
shown that the rate of diabetes is increasing in Australia (Seuring, Archangelidi, & Suhrcke,
2015). The AIHW (2018) report also stated that the rate was higher in men than women with
men having (7%) and women (5%). The rate also increased with age as there were 17% of cases
in people aged 65 to 75 years old. This was followed by 12% on people aged 55 to 64, and 5% of
cases on people aged 45 to 54 years old. Health inequalities also seemed to contribute to the rate
of diabetes. The report stated that major cities had (6%), followed by Inner regions (7%) and
outer and remote areas with (7%). In Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, 13% of the population
had diabetes, it occurred more in women than in men.
Some researchers have attributed the difference in rates of diabetes in Australia with
health disparities based on socioeconomic status and the fact that some people come from
disadvantaged groups (Hill, Ward, Grace, & Gleadle, 2017). The 2010-13 report by (Parliament

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT 5
of Australia, 2013) acknowledged that factors such as low income, poor housing, and lack of
education have contributed to the high rates of diabetes among the marginalized groups.
According to Hill et al, (2017), the same factors such as education and other social inequalities
are the major contributor to the prevalence of diabetes among the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islanders in Australia.
Conclusion
This paper intended to identify and evaluate the National Diabetes Strategy of Australia
as the key strategy in Primary Health Care policies directed towards improving care for people
with diabetes. While discussing NDS, the paper also illustrated some of the issues of equity and
social justice which are barriers to effective care of diabetes. Evidence to these determinants of
health was shown through the discussion of the epidemiological factors associated with diabetes.

PRIMARY HEALTH CARE IN GLOBAL CONTEXT 6
References
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