New announcement. Learn more

Back to Blog

Radio One: Heather Verry on Diabetes Action Month

Diabetes NZ chief executive Heather Verry sat down with Cass Harrop from Radio One to kōrero about all things diabetes and Diabetes Action Month. Radio One is a student-run station operated by Otago University students and broadcasts on 91.0 FM.Listen here....

November 20, 2025

The Detail Podcast: How Kiwi kids are becoming the new face of 'adult' diabetes

More New Zealand children, particularly Māori and Pasifika, are now being diagnosed with what was once considered an adults-only condition, type 2 diabetes. RNZ investigative reporter Guyon Espiner opens up about his own personal experience with type 1 diabetes, while Starship paediatric endocrinologist Dr Craig Jefferies calls for urgent intervention, funded access to new treatments, and early detection to prevent lifelong complications. Listen to the full episode here....

November 18, 2025

Te Ao Māori News: Hīkoi whakamua: a community group beating diabetes by keeping active

A growing number of rangatahi Māori are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. However, community-led initiatives like Turuki Health Care’s Walk n Talk group are helping whānau stay active, rebuild healthy habits and show that remission is possible.Watch the full segment here....

November 18, 2025

The Breeze: The House of Wellness NZ Podcast featuring Heather Verry

Diabetes NZ chief executive Heather Verry appeared on The Breeze’s Sunday morning show, The House of Wellness, to discuss this year’s Diabetes Action Month campaign on Diabetes & Youth. Listen from 20:40...

November 11, 2025

RNZ Saturday Mornings: Dr Bryan Betty: Youth diabetes on the rise | RNZ

Diabetes was once considered a condition that only affected older adults but now medical experts have issued a warning about a worrying trend. Chair of General Practice NZ discusses the alarming trend. Listen to the full interview here....

November 11, 2025

RNZ Morning Report: New weight loss drugs will be 'life changing' for youth with type 2 diabetes - paediatrician

Starship Hospital paediatric endocrinologist Dr Craig Jefferies featured on RNZ’s Morning Report show. He discusses the increase in youth-onset type 2 diabetes. See more here....

November 11, 2025

NZ Herald – Spot the signs of diabetes early

Liz Dutton, Head of Clinical Services at Diabetes New Zealand, talks to the NZ Herald this Diabetes Action Month to help educate parents, caregivers and whānau on the signs and symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes to look out for in children and young people.Read more at NZ Herald here...

November 3, 2025

'Our kids are getting sick too soon': Experts warn of diabetes crisis crossing generations

A growing number of Māori and Pasifika children in Aotearoa are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Pacific Media Network brings the story to light with commentary from a number of experts.Read more on PMN here...

November 3, 2025

Alarming rise in type 2 diabetes among youth, experts warn of “health crisis in the making”

New Zealand is staring down the barrel of a major health crisis with medical experts warning of an alarming rise in the number of young people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.Once considered a condition mainly affecting adults, type 2 diabetes is increasingly being seen in children and young people – a trend doctors say is deeply concerning and signals a mounting strain on the country’s health system in years to come.Starship Children Hospital’s paediatric endocrinologist Dr Craig Jef...

November 3, 2025

The One Million Minutes challenge! What is it? How do you join?

An interview with the ambassador Dion Collins about the One Million Minutes challenge to learn all about it!Read the interview here on Craccum(Craccum)...

October 3, 2025

Juggling a basketball career with a diabetes diagnosis

Six in one hundred New Zealanders have diabetes - of those about 10% are type 1, the rest are type 2.It's a disease that some associate with unhealthy diets or lifestyles, but for many that's far from the truth. Last year, whilst on holiday in Bali professional ball player Dion Collins was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes...he chats to Jesse Mulligan on RNZ.Listen here....

October 3, 2025

Basketballer Dion Collins named Diabetes NZ ambassador after type-1 battle

One of the country’s top basketballers is shining a light on the impact of type-1 diabetes and is keen to spread the message that a diagnosis doesn’t mark the end of your sporting dreams.Read the NZ Herald article here....

October 1, 2025

Why we must not sugar coat diabetes

The article features Diabetes NZ clinical director Liz Dutton who talks about how important it is to know the facts about diabetes to reduce stigma and help with diabetes management.  You can read the full article here. Why we must not sugar coat diabetes - NZ Herald...

November 6, 2024

New diabetes data confirms ‘worst case’ predictions

According to VDR figures released in August by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, the number of New Zealanders living with diabetes is now 323,700, an increase of 95,700 people in just three years.The Economic and Social Cost of Type 2 Diabetes report released in 2021 predicted that by 2040 there would be up to 430,000 people living with type 2 diabetes in Aotearoa. The new data shows the figures are tracking well above this prediction.“We can’t sugar coat the size of the problem,” says Heat...

November 4, 2024

Don’t Sugar Coat Diabetes – learn the truth about diabetes this November

Right now, 324,000 New Zealanders are living with diabetes, a number that is predicted to increase dramatically. Every day another 45 people are diagnosed with diabetes in New Zealand.This Diabetes Action Month, Diabetes New Zealand is encouraging Kiwis to learn the truth about diabetes. The theme is Don’t Sugar Coat Diabetes and it’s all about busting the myths that surround diabetes, so everyone has greater awareness and understanding of the condition. The hope is that with bette...

October 1, 2024

PMN News: Sneaker Friday encourages kids to 'Rise up' against diabetes in Pacific communities

You can watch all the fun here: Sneaker Friday Encourages Kids to 'Rise up' against Diabetes in Pacific Communities - YouTube...

November 20, 2023

Te Ao Māori News: Kids exercise for diabetes awareness

Catch all the fun as Ruben Wiki put a smile on the children’s faces here: Kids exercise for Diabetes awareness – Te Ao Māori News (teaonews.co.nz)...

November 18, 2023

Rebecca Woolly's diabetes battle: 'I lost my eye, but not my life!'

As a teenager, the disability sector worker often neglected taking insulin for her diabetes and filled her body with sugar, despite knowing the risks. After all, any tests she did at the doctors came back fine. But when Rebecca hit her twenties, her health suddenly deteriorated and, tragically, she lost her right eye. Five years later, she also underwent a double transplant for a new kidney and pancreas.Continue reading...(Woman's Day)...

November 10, 2023

RNZ’s The Panel: Diabetes as the leading cause of preventable blindness in New Zealand

On the show, Heather discusses how diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in NZ, and how there are often no warning signs beforehand. Click through and tune in from 12 minutes to hear Heather and the Panel discuss how diabetes vision loss is serious but preventable....

November 7, 2023

'It is a huge relief to hear that my eyes have not gotten worse' - the complications of type 1 diabetes

The 43-year-old started to experience problems with his eyes eight years ago, following complications from his type 1 diabetes. That led to the Dunedin man losing his peripheral vision, which also meant he was unable to hold a driver's licence. "In terms of my mental health, there’s no doubt I hit a rough patch when I found out I wasn’t able to drive.” Continue reading on Stuff...

November 6, 2023

Why isn’t NZ funding the latest life-changing diabetes technology?

This year marks a century since an extraordinary medical breakthrough – the use of insulin to treat diabetes mellitus. Some physicians at the time described the effect of administering this hormone as like witnessing “resurrection experiences”. Children near death were given a chance at life.https://thespinoff.co.nz/socie...(The Spinoff)...

November 23, 2022

Diabetes no barrier in 24-hour Hagley Park fundraiser

About 2500 children and teenagers in New Zealand are living with the chronic auto-immune condition, in which the body is unable to produce insulin.Allnutt, now 25, is trying to raise awareness and encourage young people with diabetes to take up a new sport or hobby.https://www.odt.co.nz/star-new...(Otago Daily Times)...

November 23, 2022

Christchurch electrician says type 1 diabetes like 'being on-call all the time'

Nearly 10 years on, the Christchurch electrician is ensuring others don’t feel left in the dark about the autoimmune disease, by getting out to Christchurch’s biggest park and showing that people with diabetes have no barriers.https://www.stuff.co.nz/nation...(Stuff)...

November 18, 2022

Step out for 15,000km lap challenge

Otago Lions Club members have a better way to achieve this goal, joining forces with national Lions Clubs for "Lap the Map for Diabetes".https://www.odt.co.nz/the-star...(Otago Daily Times)...

November 10, 2022

Dannevirke Lions holding walk to highlight diabetes

It's known as the "hidden disease" to some but around 285,000 New Zealanders are affected by diabetes.As an ambulance officer, Lions club spokesman Steve St Merat had seen his share of medical issues caused by diabetes."It's a very scary thing," he said.It is one reason the Dannevirke Lions club was holding a walk this Saturday for diabetes prevention.https://www.nzherald.co.nz/haw...(Hawkes Bay Today)...

November 3, 2022 Posts 1-25 of 30 | Page next