The All Wales Diabetes Prevention Programme (AWDPP), designed and led by Public Health Wales, was officially launched during Diabetes Awareness week in June. It’s been funded through a £1m annual investment by the Welsh Government’s Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales strategy.
The programme offers targeted support to people at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, and will initially be delivered via GP practices. More than 200,000 people in Wales have diabetes, and nine in 10 of them have type 2, which is a leading cause of sight loss and a major contributor to kidney failure, heart attack and stroke.
Through AWDPP, trained healthcare support workers will deliver advice on key changes to a person’s diet and physical activity levels, if they are known to be at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Lynne Neagle, deputy minister for mental health and wellbeing, said: ‘The new programme will focus on prevention, providing tailored care and support at an earlier stage, resulting in better care for patients and fewer people requiring urgent care.’
Treatment for type 2 diabetes accounts for around 10% of the annual NHS budget.
It is hoped the programme will help reduce the number of people living with type 2 diabetes in Wales.
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