IDF Europe newsletter - December 2022

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

As 2022 comes to an end, we, at IDF Europe, would like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.

2022 marked a special year for us with the continuation of our Centenary of Insulin Campaign, a new Diabetes Resolution at the European Parliament and much more. Throughout the year, we resumed some of our activities in person and we had the pleasure to meet and collaborate with many of you.

It is our intention to ensure that our achievements in 2022 will lead to an even more fruitful 2023. Next year, we will continue building on our activities and launch new initiatives to maximise our impact and to increase our collaboration with member associations, key diabetes stakeholders and the diabetes community at large.

Improving access to care and quality of life for people living with diabetes (PwD), increasing their voice on all levels, reducing diabetes incidence and preventing complications will remain our key priorities and we will work strenuously towards our vision and mission.

Empowering youth, engaging people living with all types of diabetes in our activities, strengthening the network of our member associations, and elevating diabetes on the public agenda at EU and national levels, will be key to achieving our goals in 2023 and bring a positive change to the lives of PwD and those at risk.

We are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with you, celebrate new milestones, promote access to diabetes care and elevate the voice of PwD in Europe in 2023.

IDF EUROPE NEWS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

IDF Europe Regional Council and TEAM meeting

On December 4, before the start of the IDF World Diabetes Congress, we held the IDF Europe Regional Council and the TEAM meeting (“Together Everyone Achieves More”), in Lisbon. The day represented an incredible opportunity to meet all our member associations in person for the first time after the COVID-19 pandemic and to strengthen the IDF Europe community and our network of diabetes associations across Europe.

The first part of the Regional Council and TEAM meeting included the review of IDF Europe activities and financial matters in 2022, and the presentation of our projects for 2023. During the second part of the day, participants had the opportunity to join breakout groups in which they discussed various topics such as diabetes prevention and screening, diabetes management and care, access to medicines and technologies, patient engagement and empowerment initiatives, and health system reorganisation. During the breakout sessions, participants exchanged best practices and experiences from national diabetes associations and brainstormed about potential solutions to tackle common challenges faced by PwD in their respective countries.

To learn more about IDF Europe activities in 2022, download the Annual Report here.

This year, the Regional Council also elected the new IDF Europe Regional Board for the years 2023-2024. We wish to warmly thank all IDF Europe’s former Board Members and Regional Chair, Dr Niti Pall, for their commitment. We are pleased to announce the composition of the new Board and congratulate the new Regional Chair, Professor Nebojsa Lalic, Regional Chair-Elect, Professor Tadej Battelino, and all Board Members. The IDF Europe community is looking forward to engaging and collaborating with them in the years ahead.

IDF Europe Regional Board 2023-2024:

Professor Nebojsa Lalic, Regional Chair – Serbia
Professor Tadej Battelino, Regional Chair-Elect – Slovenia
Professor Leszek Czupryniak, Board Member – Poland
Ms Stella de Sabata, Board Member – Switzerland
Ms Elena Frattolin, Board Member – Italy
Dr Sufyan Hussain, Board Member – United Kingdom
Dr Konstantinos Makrilakis, Board Member – Greece
Dr Tatjana Milenkovic, Board Member – North Macedonia
Professor João Filipe Raposo, Board Member – Portugal
Ms Maya Victorova, Board Member – Bulgaria

Apply to host the IDF Europe Youth Leadership Lab in 2023

Would you like to play a key role in uniting and strengthening the voices of youth advocates in diabetes across Europe? Apply to host the IDF Europe Youth Leadership Lab in 2023!

In 2011, IDF Europe launched the Youth Leadership Camp (YLC), an initiative aimed at nurturing a new generation of youth advocates and creating a strong pan-European network of Young Advocates in Diabetes. Each year since, a group of around 24 youth advocates aged 18-30 from IDF Europe’s members are invited to participate in the Youth Leadership Camp.

Combining sports activities and interactive workshops, the YLC is an opportunity for Young Advocates to learn about different advocacy, policy and communications techniques, find out about the differences in diabetes care and daily-life realities across Europe, share their strategies on how to cope with diabetes and learn from their day-to-day triumphs and challenges.

IDF Europe wishes to continue to work closely with member associations on this project in 2023 and build on the momentum created in past editions. The YLC will take place the week of 9th – 15th July 2023 (arrival on the Sunday).

If your member association wishes to apply to host the next YLC, please follow the link below. The deadline to apply is Tuesday January 31, 2023.

Apply here

IDF Europe Twinning Programme

We are delighted to announce that the twinning phase of the IDF Europe twinning programme has now started. We are currently supporting six of our member associations to establish strategic collaborations and work on common projects that can help them grow their capacity by building on their national expertise.

We are looking forward to seeing each collaboration take shape and to helping our members maximise the impact of their activities by connecting, giving and receiving support.

If your association should still like to be considered for the twinning programme, please contact martina.boccardo@idf-europe.org.

Learn more about the programme on our website.

We are looking for a new Project and Communication Coordinator

IDF Europe is looking for a new Project and Communication Coordinator to join the team. The job holder will support IDF Europe’s involvement in EU-funded projects and communications efforts.

Candidates should send a curriculum vitae and a cover letter to sarah.bourgois@idf-europe.org with cc to idfeurope@idf-europe.org.

Applications will be reviewed upon receipt, therefore sending applications as soon as possible is advisable. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.

The successful applicant is expected to start in January 2023.

IDF WORLD DIABETES CONGRESS

Following the IDF Europe Regional Council, on December 5-8, we attended the IDF World Diabetes Congress, in Lisbon. The congress represented a unique opportunity to connect with the global diabetes community and to exchange knowledge with an extensive global network of PwD, healthcare professionals (HCPs), scientists, government officials, policy makers, and diabetes associations.

Members of the IDF Europe Board and staff participated in various sessions and panels of the Congress as guest speakers and/or moderators to share their expertise and experience in Europe on topics such as delivering and creating value in diabetes care, diabetes and COVID-19, tools and models for managing type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), empowering and engaging youth, access to diabetes medicines and technologies, integrated diabetes care and digital tools, the new EU Parliament Diabetes Resolution, and the role of member associations in influencing policy makers.

At the opening of the Congress, Professor Akhtar Hussain succeeded Professor Andrew Boulton as President of the International Diabetes Federation, for the next two years. During the meeting of the IDF General Assembly, on December 5, the new IDF Board of Directors for 2023-2024 was also confirmed and Prof Peter Schwarz was elected President-Elect by the General Assembly.

IDF Board of Directors 2023-2024:

President: Prof Akhtar Hussain, Norway
President-Elect: Prof Peter Schwarz, Germany
Vice-president, Finance: Mr François Seynaeve, Belgium

Vice-presidents:

Prof Adel El Sayed, Egypt
Ms Ana Fernanda Sanchez, Ecuador
Dr Hermelinda Pedrosa, Brazil
Dr Jackie Maalouf, Lebanon
Mr Joao Nabais, Portugal
Dr Iryna Vlasenko, Ukraine

Regional Chairs:

Prof Jacko Obodo, Côte d'Ivoire (Africa)
Prof Nebojsa Lalic, Serbia (Europe)
Prof Mohamad Sandid, Lebanon (Middle-East and North Africa)
Dr Reginald O'Loughlin, St Kitts (North America and Caribbean)
Prof Fadlo Fraige, Brazil (South and Central America)
Prof A.K. Azad Khan, Bangladesh (South-East Asia)
Dr Takashi Kadowaki, Japan (Western Pacific)

UKRAINE NEWS

Support for people living with diabetes affected by the war in Ukraine

Since the beginning of the conflict, as well as calling for an immediate end to it, IDF Europe has been working with our international partners and member associations on ensuring the delivery of medicines, devices and supplies that PwD require in Ukraine and in the countries in which Ukrainian citizens seek refuge.

IDF Europe also developed the platform "Connect Solidarity". This gathers information to help Ukrainians living with diabetes understand what support they can get in the country where they are displaced, and how to get it, as well as resources that can be used by HCPs and people in need of medical or psychological support living with diabetes and/or other conditions. Currently, information for the platform also highlights the fundraising initiatives endorsed by IDF Europe to support the delivery of medical supplies to PwD in Ukraine and neighbouring countries, as well as our own fundraising efforts to support the work of our member associations that are offering assistance and support to Ukrainian refugees living with diabetes.

To learn about our initiative, how you can donate, join, or support our efforts,
visit our dedicated website: Connect Solidarity

IDF EUROPE ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION WORK

Universal Health Coverage Day 2022

On December 12 we celebrated Universal Health Coverage Day. This year, the theme was “Build the World We Want: A Healthy Future for All”. On this day, we outlined the urgent need for building strong, equitable and resilient health systems to reduce inequalities and ensure universal access to care and a healthy future for all.

Achieving Universal Health Coverage is part of Target 3.8 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and includes financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.

Today, PwD in Europe keep facing inequalities in access to the medicines, supplies, technologies and care that are essential to manage their condition and to prevent the development of diabetes-related complications. In the past years, these inequalities have worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic which disrupted access to care, essential complications screening, and diagnosis for PwD, increasing their risk of developing complications and mortality over the long term.

Universal access to all medicines and healthcare services required to achieve the best possible health outcomes must be considered a basic right for people living with diabetes and other conditions.

International Migrants Day 2022

December 18 marked International Migrants Day. On this occasion, we highlighted the many challenges that migrants and displaced PwD often face in accessing healthcare and achieving the best possible health outcomes and quality of life.

From lack of access to medicines, devices and food supplies during humanitarian crises, to the challenges of integration in new health and social systems, and disparities in health outcomes with the host populations, migrants and displaced PwD are particularly vulnerable.

On the day, we called on international and national organisations to acknowledge the specific challenges that migrants and displaced PwD face and to strengthen their responses to ensure continuity of care and access to all diabetes medicines, supplies and devices that PwD require to achieve optimal health outcomes and quality of life.

NEWS FROM EUROPE

IDF Europe endorses a joint position paper that calls for more meaning meaningful engagement of civil society in EU public health policymaking

As a member of the EU4Health Civil Society Alliance, IDF Europe is delighted to endorse a joint position paper “Towards meaningful engagement of health civil society organisations in EU public health policymaking”.

IDF Europe, alongside all endorsing civil society organisations (CSOs), welcomes greater dialogue and the establishment of a level playing field for CSOs to participate on equal terms with the other stakeholders involved in the democratic and policy processes at the EU level. Engagement with CSOs should not be mere tokenism, as the people and constituencies we represent have the knowledge and expertise needed to improve the effectiveness of EU health policies and build a strong and resilient European Health Union that leaves no one behind.

Read full position paper here

EPF Report: “Health in the European Semester 2022”

The European Patient Forum (EPF) recently released the “Health in the European Semester 2022” Report. The aim of the report is to provide an overview of the health-related aspects of the Commission’s 2022 European Semester process and explain its major elements, timeline, and relevance to the patient community represented by EPF.

The document provides a summary of the series of Country Reports issued by the Commission as part of the European Semester process with a focus on health and the SDGs.

Read the report here

WHO publication on Language and Diabetes

The WHO recently published the results of a key informant language survey for people with a direct and/or adjacent (caregiver, friend, family-member etc.,) lived experience of diabetes. The survey gathered insights on media reporting on diabetes and aimed to improve the quality of communications and public discourse on diabetes by learning from people with lived experiences.

According to the results, participants outlined five key themes requiring more appropriate consideration in the media: the distinction between different types of diabetes when reporting information about diabetes risk factors, prevention, signs and symptoms; misconceptions about diabetes being solely caused by eating too much sugar and making poor lifestyle choices; the prevalence of diabetes stigma, shame and blame, which contributes to the feeling that diabetes is a ‘moral failing’ and something for which the person should be blamed; and the need for highlighting the burden of the costs (financial, personal and interpersonal) of living with diabetes and the impact this has on mental health.

Read the publication here

WHO - Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour: a brief to support people living with type 2 diabetes

One of WHO’s recent brief guides provides recommendations on physical activity and sedentary behaviour for people living with T2D. The brief aims at promoting physical activity among people living with T2D as part of the management of their condition, and at improving their physical and mental health and wellbeing. The recommendations are based on the WHO Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour, and they are supported by additional resources as part of the WHO “ACTIVE” technical package.

Read the publication here

Ninth ESWI Influenza Conference

The ninth edition of the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI) Influenza Conference will take place in Valencia on September 17-20, 2023. The ninth edition of the conference will see the participation of renowned influenza, RSV and COVID-19 scientists, public health experts and HCPs, discussing hot topics in epidemic and pandemic flu, RSV and COVID-19. The conference will have two science tracks and one track designed to translate the science to policy.

The Call for Abstracts is currently open and the conference schedule is taking shape, with registrations set to open in early 2023.

For more information, visit the website here.

EU-FUNDED PROJECTS

Sports & Diabetes project handbook: “Tackling Diabetes with Sport – Guide to Type 1 Diabetes and Sport”

IDF Europe is part of the Sports and Diabetes project, alongside five European Sports Clubs – TSV Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), HAŠK Mladost (Croatia), Lazio Volley (Italy), Olympiacos S.F.P. (Greece) and WSC – Wiener Sport Club (Austria).

The project aims to promote participation in sports of youths living with T1D by educating sports coaches and teachers as well as addressing the key barriers to participation among children, adolescents and their parents.

Following the youth camp held in Split, Croatia, at the end of November, on December 6, several consortium partners and experts participated in a panel discussion and presented the outcomes of the projects during the symposium on Sports & Diabetes at the IDF World Diabetes Congress, in Lisbon.

The event was also an opportunity to present the handbook and comic book on managing sports and diabetes which was developed as part of the project. The PDF and printed version of this publication will soon be available here in five languages (English, Croatian, German, Greek and Italian).

Pre-order the handbook here

Should anyone wish to help us translate the handbook and comic book into another language, please send an email at info@sportsanddiabetes.eu.

DigiCare4You - Annual Consortium Meeting

DigiCare4You aims to improve the early prevention and management of T2D and hypertension (HTN). The project’s overall objective is to assess the scalability and transferability of an intersectoral, innovative person-centred solution involving digital tools, aimed at empowering families and integrating community care services in Europe for the prevention and management of T2D and HTN.

The DigiCare4You consortium members held the project’s second annual meeting on December 01, 2022. The 16 international and multidisciplinary consortium partners from Australia, Europe and the USA met at the Harakopio University of Athens for the first physical consortium meeting since the beginning of the project to discuss the progress achieved to date.

The two-day meeting was an opportunity to provide updates on the work conducted over the past year in each of the nine work packages.