A CANBERRA health movement that supports women diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy has been left short-changed from promoting a better well-being for the prevention of the chronic disease.

ACT Health has recently rejected an application from Capital Chicks for funding in spite of Canberra having the highest rates of gestational diabetes nationally.

Records from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare suggest that more than one in every six women pregnant in the territory test positive for the condition of developing high blood sugar levels without pre-existing diabetes.

That has prompted almost 8000 registrations for its program around the Canberra region and the 57 per cent that signed up becoming active users of the essential health service.

Capital Chicks, run in conjunction with support from Diabetes NSW & ACT, was developed to not only manage gestational but also type-2 diabetes, and other related diseases.

But the ACT Health promotion grants program, which provides standalone “seed funding”, did not approve the activities of Capital Chicks that improve health outcomes for pregnant women.

The community-based grants is provided for programs that “innovate and develop their own sustainability plan”.

According to ACT Health guidelines, applicants should demonstrate that proposed programs become sustainable in the long term and not rely on grant funding, a renewal beyond the grant period nor that a possible grant represents a commitment to recurrent funding.

The grants assessment panel noted that the proposal was “not sufficiently different from previously funded activities” outside of the grants guidelines, which specifically excluded providing further grants for previously funded activities.

The panel also noted that Diabetes NSW & ACT, acting on behalf of Capital Chicks, provided “insufficient detail to clearly justify its preferred delivery model” and, as a result, the amount of funding being sought raised concerns over the sustainability of its program.

Capital Chicks has been given $702,300 in a successful government grant that is entirely separate to, and in addition to, funding Diabetes NSW & ACT receives through its service funding agreement with ACT Health directorate.

ACT Health is yet to receive an independent program evaluation of Capital Chicks, which is essential to making any decisions about further support outside of the program funding.

However, Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith delivered the organisation goodwill over addressing any shortfalls diabetes advocates are facing.

“Diabetes NSW & ACT has advised me that the formal evaluation of Capital Chicks Canberra is due at the end of May,” Ms Stephen-Smith said.

“While they did not request a meeting with me in their correspondence in early May, I have now offered to meet with them again once the evaluation has been completed.”

Opposition spokesperson for women, Nicole Lawder, has already asked the government to “reverse its decision” after figures suggest that about half of the women in the ACT with gestational diabetes are expected to develop type-2 diabetes inside the next 10-20 years.

Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee is one woman that has shared her experience with gestational diabetes in a video posted on the website of Capital Chicks.

“It is absolutely shameful that this Labor-Greens government is responsible of the rejection of funds for this crucial initiative,” Ms Lawder said.

“The government loves to talk about supporting women, but when push comes to shove, they’ve failed to support many Canberra women living with diabetes.

“Capital Chicks is so important for women experiencing this chronic condition.”

Capital Chicks has been contacted for comment.