The federal government is working on a new strategy to tackle the diabetes epidemic, says Health Minister Peter Dutton.
At the opening of a major World Diabetes Conference in Melbourne on Monday, he said an expert advisory group would be set up to meet the challenges of one of the nation's most serious health issues.
"Too many Australians have diabetes", Mr Dutton said.
"More than four per cent of the population have a diagnosed diabetes condition and a further one per cent have diabetes and don't know it."
Mr Dutton also announced support for children with type 1 diabetes as well as an additional $35 million to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
An additional $1.4 million would be invested in the diabetes insulin pump program, which would help more than 200 children and their families with subsidised access to insulin pumps over the next year.
The International Diabetes Federation said Australia was one of the first governments to make "such a public commitment to attacking the pandemic of diabetes".
"Coming at the start of our conference with over 10,000 delegates from more than 200 countries it sets an example that many countries should follow," it said in a statement.
