Dear Friends,

On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, we are delighted to invite you to our virtual Symposium on "How to build a better Future for Diabetes Nurses in Europe". The Symposium will be held on Tuesday, November 17, from 9.30 to 10.45 CET. 

Ensuring that the role of nurses is fully recognised within a patient-centred and fully integrated healthcare system is key to improving the health outcomes and quality of life of people living with diabetes and those at risk. During the Symposium, German-based, Verband der Diabetes-Beratungs- und Schulungsberufe in Deutschland and the Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes, FEND, will explore the situation of diabetes nurses in Europe, through a case study and the presentation of the results of a survey on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on diabetes specialist nurses in Europe.  A preview of the highlights of the IDF Europe Diabetes and COVID-19 survey will also be presented.

The Symposium will also be an opportunity to announce the re-establishment of the MEP Interest Group on Diabetes, co-chaired by MEPs Sirpa Pietikäinen and Christel Schaldemose, that will be formally launched in January 2021. The MEP Interest Group (MEPs Mobilising for Diabetes – MMD) will seek to improve diabetes management, care and risk reduction approaches, promote better (affordable) access to medicines and technologies, reduce health inequalities and eliminate discrimination.  

Read more about our Symposium here. 

We look forward to seeing you at the Symposium.

Dr Niti Pall - IDF Europe, Chair

IDF Europe "Meet your Board" meeting 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IDF Europe "Meet your Board" meeting took place virtually on October 22, in lieu of the traditional TEAM meeting. The meeting was moderated by Bastian Hauck, IDF Europe Board Member, and attended by 37 participants, from 26 countries. After a warm welcome by the IDF Europe Chair, Niti Pall, and the introduction of the Board Members, Sabine Dupont, Senior Consultant Policy and Projects, presented the IDF Europe’s Centenary of Insulin Campaign, which will run over three years, starting in January 2021. The meeting was an opportunity for the Member Associations to share their planned activities and campaigns to celebrate the Centenary of Insulin, and for IDF Europe to present the brand new collaboration with the European Diabetes Forum (EUDF). IDF Europe chair-elect, Nebojsa Lalic, confirmed in his closing remarks that the meeting was a positive start to a conversation which will continue in the Regional Council meeting that will take place on November 24.

IDF Europe’s Diabetes & COVID-19 surveys

Over the past few months, IDF Europe has conducted two Diabetes & COVID-19 surveys to gather the perspectives from people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals, with a view to mapping the challenges they had to face during the pandemic and uncovering the innovative actions and solutions which were implemented during the crisis. 

The “People living with Diabetes” survey is now closed. The results are currently being analysed and we thank all those who have contributed to the development of the survey and its translation. The highlights of the survey will be presented during the IDF Europe Virtual Symposium that will be held on November 17 on the occasion of World Diabetes Day. 

Our “Healthcare professionals” survey will remain open for another three weeks. We are facing the second wave of the pandemic, and it is more important than ever to collect data that we will use to develop a set of policy recommendations to be presented to national and pan-European policymakers and other relevant diabetes stakeholders. A big thank you to all the healthcare professionals who have already responded to the survey, and those who will take it, thereby helping us build a stronger and more resilient diabetes ecosystem. 

IDF Europe's advocacy and communications work 

In October, YOURAH and representatives from IDF Europe had the opportunity to meet virtually with three MEPs. Mental health was a key topic of discussion with MEP Alviina Alametsä. Of note was the exchange around the challenge that living with diabetes places not only on the young people living with the condition themselves, but also on their families and carers.

The meeting with MEP Kim Van Sparrentak focused on the issues of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. While AI could, for example, help improve the management of many aspects of diabetes and prevent diabetes-related complications, it presents many safety and ethical risks that must be taken into account.

The upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe was the prime focus of our exchange with MEP Daniel Freund. The conference is intended to be a major forum across Europe, where citizens, civil society and the European Institutions will participate in discussions to shape the future of the European Union.

We warmly thank Alviina Alamaetsä MEP, Daniel Freund MEP and Kim Van Sparrentak MEP for their time and contribution! 

On October 21, the Council of the EU finalised its position on the EU4Health programme. This followed the ENVI committee's report, published on the 20th, which outlined the European Parliament’s position on the initial proposal. The Council position will serve as a basis for negotiations with the European Parliament, which are expected to start on November 11.  The upcoming negotiations promise to be difficult, particularly regarding the budget allocated to the Programme. 

IDF Europe welcomes the Parliament's commitment to maintaining the budget at the level that had originally been proposed by the European Commission (€9.4 billion) on May 28, instead of the €1.9 billion proposed by the Council.

We thank our Members for their support to the call made by IDF Europe to health attachés to the EU, reiterating the importance of maintaining a strong and ambitious EU4Health programme, which would help support the transformation and systemic reform of healthcare systems across Europe to improve their effectiveness, accessibility and resilience. Of critical importance is also for the programme to maintain focus on supporting the development of health-enabling environments, promoting disease prevention and health promotion, and reducing health inequalities. 

International Days are a great opportunity for IDF Europe to communicate on diabetes and to raise awareness. Click on the pictures to learn more about our initiatives. 

World Mental Health Day

On the occasion of World Mental Health Day on October 10th, IDF Europe raised awareness of the psychological burden of living with diabetes and the effect this has on one’s mental health. People living with diabetes may, at times, experience increased levels of distress, anxiety, and depression due to the relentless and constant nature of their condition. If these feelings are not addressed they can eventually culminate in burnout whereby one feels completely overwhelmed. This not only affects one’s everyday life, relationships, and emotional state but but can have a negative impact on a person’s ability to manage their diabetes, leading to poorer physical health. Please watch our video testimonials where people living with diabetes talk about the psychological burden of living with diabetes.

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