The Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP+) have launched their Indigenous artwork ahead of their community event this week in Moree.  

Pictured: HNELHD Clinical Lead and HMRI researcher Associate Professor Shamasunder Acharya and artist Jodie Reynolds (Kamilaroi)

The Diabetes Alliance Program Plus (DAP+) have launched their Indigenous artwork ahead of their community event this week in Moree.  

The artwork, by local Aboriginal artist Jodie Reynolds, is titled “Sharing and Caring for Diabetes”. It tells the story of DAP+ and the unique way the program’s specialist clinicians and medical professionals deliver support to communities across the Hunter New England Health region. 

“My artwork depicts this with the diabetes medical team in the centre meeting place who travel and share their knowledge with other professionals, as well as the public,” said Jodie. 

The artwork was featured across the DAP+ community launch this week in Moree where the local community attended number of free events including a Yarn Bombing Project, a diabetes educational expo, and a walk and talk with the DAP+ team alongside the town’s weekly parkrun.  

DAP+ is a partnership between HMRI, HNELHD, HNECCPHN and the University of Newcastle and builds on the existing work of the Diabetes Alliance Program (DAP) developed by HNELHD Clinical lead and HMRI researcher Associate Professor Shamasunder Acharya and his team. 

One in 10 people in the Hunter New England region have type 2 diabetes and over half of them are yet to be diagnosed. Those in disadvantaged areas are more likely to develop the disease and are less likely to receive timely treatment.  

The DAP+ team and Jodie have been working closely together to understand the challenges of people with diabetes, how regional and rural communities respond to the disease, and how DAP+ is: 

• Increasing access to specialist health services,
• Building regional and rural GP practice capacity to provide evidence-based care to people with diabetes, 
• Empowering communities to manage their own health through increased access to evidence-based, healthy lifestyle resources. 

Jodie’s artwork was chosen following a competitive expression of interest process as it described the DAP+ story in an inclusive and creative way.  

“Jodie’s artwork not only shows the rich culture of indigenous or First Nations culture in the form of this beautiful painting,” explains DAP+ Clinical Lead, Associate Professor Acharya. “She’s also incredibly captured all the elements that we do in Diabetes Alliance Program Plus, which is very much about partnership.” 

Jodie said the vibrant colours in the artwork were used to symbolise the warmness and positive attitudes of the professional DAP+ staff. 

Pictured: Jodie Reynolds (Kamilaroi) local artist, and the Diabetes Alliance Program Plus team.

“The bright colours will also attract an audience to further reach out to the wider community by visually engaging people. The handprints at the top and bottom of the painting depicts asking for help and receiving help to protect our future.” 

Associate Professor Acharya said that the artwork brings us one step closer to connecting with our communities and therefore, closer to improving health outcomes.   

“One of the most important things in our program’s work is that we destigmatise diabetes. Diabetes needs more visibility and more attention, and Jodie’s artwork is an incredible visual way to do just that.”