May 2011

April at a Glance

April saw major victories in IDF’s preparations for the Summit. IDF President Jean Claude Mbanya was appointed as Co-Chair of the recently formed Civil Society Task Force for the Summit, our Advocacy Toolkit was well received by the global diabetes and NCD community and a wide array of organisations and networks adopted our International Charter of Rights and Responsibilities of People with Diabetes.

Official UN preparations for the Summit are also coming together. The WHO Regional Consultations for the Summit ended in a series of strong regional Declarations and Statements, WHO launched their Global Status Report on NCDs and planning for the Civil Society Hearing on June 16th has begun.

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UN Summit Update

There have been significant developments since the formation of the Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) for the Summit on NCDs last month. At the first face-to-face meeting in Moscow, President Jean Claude Mbanya and UICC President Eduardo Cazap were appointed Co-Chairs of the CSTF. This joint appointment is a great achievement for IDF and diabetes and reflects the status of the Alliance as the leadership vehicle of civil society for the Summit. Read further down for more on CSTF details and membership.

The last of the WHO Regional Consultations for the Summit was held in Africa at the beginning of April. A mix of UN Member States and civil society representatives has attended these consultations; most have ended with participants negotiating and agreeing to a Declaration or a Statement. These offer useful insights into the varying regional perspectives and priorities on NCDs, and will feed into the global negotiations on the Outcomes Document that are expected to start in June. Read the declarations. 

April also saw the launch of the WHO Global Status Report on NCDs 2010, another official preparatory document for the Summit. The Status Report was released in Moscow during WHO’s series of NCD meetings, and is the first report to map the global epidemic of NCDs and their shared risk factors and determinants. The report also identifies priority areas for action, and highly cost-effective “best buys” for any resource setting. While IDF would have wished for stronger data and messaging on diabetes, overall the report will be useful for advocacy purposes in the coming months. The diabetes data will be supplemented by the 5th IDF Diabetes Atlas which we will launch at the World Diabetes Day on November 14 this year.

Download the WHO Global Status Report on NCDs.

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What Can You Do to Support A Successful Summit?

This month saw the official launch of our Advocacy Toolkit for the Summit. In just a few weeks the Toolkit has been sent around the world, and we are receiving great feedback on its content and easy-to-use format by the global diabetes and NCD community. If you want to find out how you can get involved in Summit preparations at the local or regional level, your first stop has to be our Advocacy Toolkit. The Toolkit is now also available in French and Spanish.

Download the full report , or alternatively the tools and resources including sample letters, press releases and briefings, as well as PowerPoint presentations, videos and campaign banners.

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Who’s Who in the Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) for the Summit

The CSTF, convened by the UN to guide and advise on the preparations and proceedings for the UN Summit, is set to be one of the most influential bodies in the remaining four months. Through regular teleconferences and meetings, the CSTF will decide on civil society speakers and attendees at the September Summit. It will also advise on content and details of the plenary sessions during the Summit and lead in the preparations for the Civil Society Hearing on 16 June in New York. An important role of the CSTF is to keep civil society involved during these crucial months and we will use space within this newsletter to facilitate this.

The CSTF has seven members from NGOs and the private sector. Concerns were raised at the outset that the voice of cardiovascular disease was missing from the original set of names, and through effective and coordinated lobbying by the World Heart Federation (WHF) and the NCD Alliance, an additional seat was allocated to accommodate this request. The CSTF members are:

• Jean Claude Mbanya - President, International Diabetes Federation (Co-Chair)
• Eduardo Cazap - President, Union for International Cancer Control (Co-Chair)
• Nooshin Bazargani – Board Member, World Heart Federation
• Rachel Kitonyo - Executive Director of Institute of Legislative Affairs and Chair, African Tobacco Control Alliance
• Matthew L. Myers - President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids
• Zafrullah Chowdhury - Founder of Gonoshasthaya Kendra (People's Health Center)
• Olivier Raynaud - Senior Director, World Economic Forum

The NCD Alliance is strongly represented on the CSTF, with five of the seven members either representing an NCD Alliance federation or member association. We are therefore in a powerful position to influence the Summit for the benefit of civil society. 

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Join us for a Webinar to Learn More About the Summit!

Building on the success of our Advocacy Toolkit and the continuing interest for practical information and guidance on the Summit, IDF will be holding a webinar on the Summit for IDF’s Member Associations on 26 May from 3pm to 4.30pm (CET). Guest speakers will include President Mbanya, Chair of IDF’s Global Advocacy Task Force Anne-Marie Felton, and IDF CEO and Chair of the NCD Alliance Ann Keeling. We will also hear from IDF Vice President Kaushik Ramaiya who attended WHO Africa Regional Consultation for the Summit.

The webinar will use the same format as the NCD Alliance Common Interest Group (CIG) calls. Given the expected high number of participants in the call it will not be possible for everyone to speak but you will be able to communicate with us by typing your questions and comments on a chat facility. Please send any questions you would like answered during the call to unsummit@idf.org.

We look forward to your participation!

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What Works for Diabetes?

The global diabetes and NCD community have successfully moved from saying “we have a problem” to saying “we have solutions”. And with just four months to go until the Summit, the appetite of Governments for practical, low-cost and feasible interventions and solutions is growing. Every government in every corner of the world can take action to turn the diabetes and NCD epidemic around – we need your help to show what is possible! IDF has released a call to its 220 Member Associations for success stories and case studies.

These can be anything from policies to promote physical activity or healthy eating; school-based prevention strategies; workplace wellness schemes; voluntary/regulatory measures to reduce salt, fat or sugar; provision of essential care at the primary care level; diabetes education programmes; health workforce development schemes; integrating GDM awareness and screening into maternal and new-born child health services; public awareness campaigns to reduce diabetes-related discrimination; innovative financing mechanisms for diabetes and NCDs. The list could go on! We are looking for short case studies which will be used in a short advocacy publication on ‘What Works for Diabetes’ in the lead up to the Summit.

Download the form in English. French and Spanish versions will be available shortly.

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Promote the Rights of People with Diabetes

Earlier this month, IDF launched the first-ever International Charter of Rights and Responsibilities of People with Diabetes. Many patient-based organisations and networks have already adopted the principles in the Charter, and we encourage you to do the same.

While the Charter is not a legal document, it is a set of aspirational statements and beliefs that should be promoted widely.

The Charter is available download in English, French and Spanish.

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Talking about Diabetes in 2011

View the third in the series of short videos on the UN Summit. In this video, President Mbanya highlights four compelling reasons why the time to act on diabetes is now. The magnitude of the evidence, as a global economic risk and a major barrier to human and economic development, and the opportunities of low-cost solutions and the platform of the Summit come together to provide an indisputable rationale for political and technical action at the highest level. 

Visit the International Diabetes Federation's YouTube channel to view all the clips.

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Advocacy in Action: The NCD Alliance in Moscow

IDF and the NCD Alliance were out in force at the recent WHO meetings on NCDs in Moscow. The proceedings started with the WHO Global Health Forum on NCDs on 27th April with invitations extended to NGOs and the private sector, followed by the First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and NCD Control on the 28th and 29th April. The Forum saw interesting dialogue between all stakeholders in the fight against NCDs – including governments, private sector and civil society. The IDF President and President Elect had high-profile speaking roles over the three days. Together with partners of the NCD Alliance, we effectively promoted the NCD Alliance’s Proposed Outcomes Document as a template for success at the Summit, as well as our Advocacy Toolkit and Charter of Rights and Responsibilities for People with Diabetes. IDF Member Association representatives were also present including Dietrich Garlichs, CEO of diabetesDE, Larry Hausner, CEO of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) who was part of the official US delegation, and Bjørnar Allgot CEO of the Norwegian Diabetes Association who was part of the official Norwegian delegation. 

The Ministerial Conference ended with participants agreeing to the Moscow Declaration on NCDs. Through coordinated behind the scenes lobbying, the NCD Alliance ensured key points such as access to essential medicines and strong references to health systems were included.

• You can watch the events via a webinar.
• Read the Moscow Declaration. 

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Join us at the World Health Assembly - Geneva

On Monday 16th May, the NCD Alliance will be hosting a side event on NCDs at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva. This two-week long annual meeting of the world’s Health Ministers will be an important platform for dialogue and influencing on diabetes and the other NCDs just months before the Summit. If you are planning to attend WHA please let us know and keep an eye out on the NCD Alliance website for more information on the side event.

During the same week, President Mbanya will be giving the keynote speech at the Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting (CHMM) in Geneva. It was at the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that the ‘Statement on Commonwealth Action to Combat NCDs’ was adopted, and NCDs became a priority health issue for the Commonwealth. Consequently, the Commonwealth Secretariat developed the Roadmap on NCDs and agreed on the theme of NCDs for the CHMM 2011. The meeting will be an opportunity to influence the 54 Commonwealth Health Ministers prior to the Summit, and with President Mbanya invited to give the prestigious opening speech, IDF could not be better positioned to emphasise key diabetes and NCD messages and recommendations.

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New IDF campaign video launched

IDF has launched its first-ever animated campaign video, which calls on all viewers to take an active stance on diabetes in 2011.

Entitled ‘Act on Diabetes. Now.’, the video is a key awareness tool in IDF’s advocacy activities in the run-up to the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs in September. It is available now in English, French and Spanish and will be available soon in Arabic and Mandarin.

With the UN High-Level Meeting, we now have the political platform to move the world from rhetoric to action. Your support is crucial in spreading the word on this silent killer. Be an active part of the change by distributing this to your network as well posting on your own website and social media pages.

If you have any questions on the video, including access rights, please contact communications@idf.org.

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We Want to Hear From You

Please email unsummit@idf.org with:

• Updates of local advocacy activities
• Upcoming regional events.

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Upcoming Events

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