A unique collaboration between public and private health-tech innovators and health organisations, which conducted free health checks at the 2024 Boxing Day Test at the MCG, has highlighted a concerning prevalence of undiagnosed risk factors for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
More than 13,000 cricket fans were screened for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar (Hba1c), body mass index, and diabetes risk between 26 and 29 December 2024, as a part of a project to honour the legacy of the late Shane Warne. This was the country’s largest ever health screening event.
The health checks were conducted as part of a partnership between the Shane Warne Legacy, the Victorian
Government and Cricket Australia using SiSU Health’s self-serve stations and finger-prick diabetes (HbA1c) and cholesterol checks supported by on-site clinicians. Free Shane Warne Legacy Health Checks are supported by a broader group of organisations dedicated to health innovation and preventative health care including non-profit private health insurer, Latrobe Health Services, Diabetes Australia and Novo Nordisk.
Participants had an average age of 41, a critical window for identifying risk factors before they lead to serious illness. Notably, 77% of participants were men — a demographic traditionally less engaged with healthcare.
More than 57% of participants had not had their blood pressure checked in the past 12 months, and over 2,600 individuals were flagged for GP follow-up due to elevated health risks. All participants received instant results via the SiSU
Health app, complete with personalised explanations and prompts for follow-up care.
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