During the diabetes awareness campaign, the rate of DKA at initial diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in children decreased by 64%.

Objectives: To audit glycaemic control and incidence of severe hypoglycaemia in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Design: A multicentre, population‐based, cross‐sectional study from 1 September to 31 December, 1999. Participants: 1190 children and adolescents aged 1.2–15.8 years with type 1 diabetes, identified from three hospital‐based paediatric diabetes units, four private city‐based paediatric practices and 18 regional outreach clinics in NSW and the ACT. Main outcome measures: HbA1c level and incidence of severe hypoglycaemia (defined by unconsciousness or seizures). Results: The response rate was 67% (1190 of a target group of 1765). The median HbA1c level was 8.2% (interquartile range, 7.6%–9.1%). Significant predictors of HbA1c level in a multiple regression model were duration (b = 0.05; 95% CI, 0.02–0.07) and insulin dose/kg (b = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.27–0.66). At least one episode of severe hypoglycaemia in the previous three months was reported in 6.7%, and the rate of severe hypoglycaemia was 36/100 patient‐years. Significant predictors of hypoglycaemia in a Poisson regression model were younger age (P = 0.03), male sex (P = 0.04), longer diabetes duration (P = 0.02), and > 3 daily insulin injections (P = 0.02), but not HbA1c level. Children with diabetes had higher BMI standard deviation scores compared with population standards, and those in the highest quartile of BMI standard deviation score were younger, had shorter diabetes duration and had higher HbA1c level. Conclusions: Many children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes have suboptimal glycaemic control, placing them at high risk of developing microvascular complications. Those with longer diabetes duration are at increased risk of suboptimal glycaemic control and severe hypoglycaemia and should be targeted for interventional strategies.

The index is a comprehensive, easily administered survey instrument. It demonstrated stark differences in access to numerous components of care necessary in achieving good outcomes for children and youth with diabetes.

Optimal care for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes is well described in guidelines, such as those of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes. High‐income countries can usually provide this, but the cost of this care is generally prohibitive for lower‐income countries. Indeed, in most of these countries, very little care is provided by government health systems, resulting in high mortality, and high complications rates in those who do survive. As lower‐income countries work toward establishing guidelines‐based care, it is helpful to describe the levels of care that are potentially affordable, cost‐effective, and result in substantially improved clinical outcomes. We have developed a levels of care concept with three tiers: “minimal care,” “intermediate care,” and “comprehensive (guidelines‐based) care.” Each tier contains levels, which describe insulin and blood glucose monitoring regimens, requirements for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) testing, complications screening, diabetes education, and multidisciplinary care. The literature provides various examples at each tier, including from countries where the life for a child and the changing diabetes in children programs have assisted local diabetes centres to introduce intermediate care. Intra‐clinic mean HbA1c levels range from 12.0% to 14.0% (108‐130 mmol/mol) for the most basic level of minimal care, 8.0% to 9.5% (64‐80 mmol/mol) for intermediate care, and 6.9% to 8.5% (52‐69 mmol/mol) for comprehensive care. Countries with sufficient resources should provide comprehensive care, working to ensure that it is accessible by all in need, and that resulting HbA1c levels correspond with international recommendations. All other countries should provide Intermediate care, while working toward the provision of comprehensive care.