DRIVING CHANGE TOGETHER
As the EU enters a new political cycle, the diabetes community faces a pivotal moment. The months ahead offer a unique opportunity to unite our voices and accelerate action on diabetes, ensuring it takes its rightful place on the EU and national health agendas in synergy with other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This is our chance to advocate for policies that can significantly improve the lives of people with diabetes (PwD) and strengthen the health systems on which we all rely.
Health must be a central priority if we are to build resilient and sustainable societies. The need to improve our approach to preventing, treating and managing NCDs, including diabetes, is more critical than ever. Too little is being done to address the socio-economic, commercial and environmental determinants of health, resulting in a relentless rise in the number of people living with diabetes and other NCDs, or living with low quality of life. The current healthcare model, where 75% of diabetes costs result from treating diabetes-related complications rather than preventing them, is neither effective nor sustainable. Meanwhile, chronic conditions such as diabetes impose a huge physical, mental and economic burden on both individuals and the society at large.
We urgently need a new and comprehensive approach that transforms our healthcare systems, shifting from a disease and treatment-oriented to a prevention-based, person-centred and integrated model. A holistic approach that recognises the interconnectedness of the major NCDs is the only way forward. People must be at the centre of their care, with a system that adapts flexibly to their characteristics, evolving needs and unique circumstances throughout their life course.
IDF Europe is committed to taking on this challenge by amplifying the collective voice of the diabetes community. In the coming months, we will focus on harnessing the strengths of our Member Associations and our Youth and Type 2 diabetes (T2D) platforms to intensify our advocacy efforts, ensuring that the diabetes community is heard loud and clear by European and national policymakers. As the European Union appoints new Commissioners and the Council prepares its conclusions, our calls for comprehensive action on diabetes, as part of a broader NCD strategy, will be at the forefront of our efforts.
Now is the time to mobilise our community, to advocate and to lay the foundation for sustainable change that will truly improve the lives of PwD and those at risk. Together, united, we can ensure that diabetes and other NCDs take centre stage in today's and tomorrow's health policies.
YOUTH PLATFORM
Young diabetes advocates play a key role in shaping the future of diabetes care and prevention. In this new political cycle, the energy, creativity and unique perspectives that they bring to the table are more important than ever.
IDF Europe acknowledges their role as key drivers of change and is committed to supporting the development of leadership and advocacy skills among youth. Throughout the years, with initiatives such as the Youth Leadership Lab (YLL), we have been providing training, resources and platforms for youth engagement to empower young people living with diabetes to become strong leaders and advocates in the diabetes community.
“Empowered young PwD serve as influential voices for others who share similar experiences but may lack the strength to speak up. Young advocates have the power to shape policies, drive meaningful change and challenge current models of care. When young advocates from diverse backgrounds and cultures come together, the exchange of ideas sparks inspiration, much like a bulb flickering to life. They gain the ability to identify and challenge injustices within their communities, drawing on insights and solutions from other communities to create impactful change.” – Martina Mallia, 2024 YLL participant and YOURAH member
Members of our Youth Network, YOURAH, help drive our advocacy efforts. They engage with peers, healthcare professionals (HCPs), local community members and policy makers in various ways including through social media, educational campaigns, research projects and public events.
In this section, you can learn more about recent and upcoming activities of the YOURAH network.
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Learn more about YOURAH and meet the new members The YOURAH Network consists of alumni from the past 14 IDF Europe Youth Leadership Camps (YLC), now YLL. Their mission is to empower and unite the youth diabetes community by acting as leaders at local and national levels and engaging in advocacy initiatives, awareness campaigns and research projects. Following this year’s camp, 19 new members from across Europe joined the YOURAH network. 
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Discover the new YOURAH logo and its meaning On August 12, on the occasion of the International Youth Day, we unveiled the new YOURAH logo – a symbol reflecting the values of our network: empathy, action and togetherness. The new logo serves as a reminder to listen to your heart, support others and drive positive change. We wish to thank YOURAH member, Marina Topor and her husband, Igor Pogorevici, for their incredible work in creating the new logo. 
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Check out the report of the 2024 IDF Europe Youth Leadership Lab The IDF Europe Youth Leadership Camp/Lab was launched in 2011 and aims to create a strong pan-European network of young diabetes advocates. This year, participants representing 18 countries joined the Lab which consisted of an opening session and an online workshop in June followed by a one-week camp in Serbia, in July, hosted by the Diabetes Association of Serbia. The YLL was just the beginning of a promising advocacy journey for many of the participants who are now part of an engaged network of youth advocates committed to shaping the future of diabetes. 
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Apply to be part of the 2024 IDF Europe YOURAH Forum in Brussels Each year, IDF Europe organises alumni get-together events for its YOURAH members – the YOURAH Forum. These events provide a platform for past YLL participants to reconnect, share their journeys and engage in shared advocacy efforts. This year, the YOURAH Forum will take place in Brussels on November 7-9, with the theme “Raising the voice of the youth diabetes community at the European level”. Participants will be provided with the opportunity to engage in advocacy and communication training, design campaigns and interact with European decision-makers. 
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Read the interview with the creators of the Diabetes Daily Podcast “D-YOUTH”
In a world where Type 1 diabetes (T1D) can often feel isolating, a group of young diabetes advocates has come together to create "D-YOUTH," a podcast designed to connect and inspire those living with the condition.
The podcast creators, Linda Budde, Lazar Begović, Madalena Gonçalves, Marieva Tzanavara, Júlia Szednik and Anna Zamperetti, met during the IDF Europe YLL in 2023. Since then, they have been working together on the podcast and have published 28 episodes featuring guests from all over Europe who share their personal stories of living with diabetes.
MEMBER NEWS
Less than two months to the IDF Europe Regional Council and TEAM Meeting 2024!
The IDF Europe TEAM ("Together Everyone Achieves More") Meeting and the Regional Council 2024 will take place in Rome, Italy, on October 12 and 13, respectively.
Each year, the Regional Council represents a great opportunity to meet all our member organisations in person, provide a review of our priority projects and programmes, discuss financial matters and strengthen our network across Europe.
We look forward to meeting all our member organisations in Rome next October!
IDF Europe welcomes the Union of Diabetic Associations of North Macedonia as new provisional member
IDF Europe is pleased to announce that the Union of Diabetic Associations of North Macedonia has been accepted as a new provisional member of IDF.
We look forward to collaborating with the association within our European network of national diabetes associations.
IDF EUROPE NEWS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
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Don’t miss our Symposium at EASD on “Personalisation of Care” During the 60th EASD Annual Meeting on September 9-13, IDF Europe will hold a symposium: "Personalisation of care - the way forward". Featuring people living with T1D and T2D, a multidisciplinary panel of healthcare professionals and a policy maker, the event will explore innovation in diabetes care pathways and the main policy barriers to, and enablers of, care personalisation. The Symposium will take place on September 12, from 11:30-13:00 CEST, at the Retiro Hall, IFEMA Convention Center – Feria de Madrid. Air Liquide Healthcare is a partner of this symposium. 
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Listen to our first podcast episode on “Personalisation of Care” Ahead of the IDF Europe symposium at EASD 2024, we published our very first podcast episode on "Personalisation of Care". The episode features Prof. João Raposo, Medical Director at the Portuguese Diabetes Association (APDP), President of the Portuguese Society of Diabetology (SPD) and IDF Europe Board Member, and Erik Werson, member of our T2D Platform. During the episode, our guests discuss the meaning of personalisation of care for PwD and HCPs, what is needed to drive its implementation and the potential of new technologies in this process. 
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Submit a nomination for the IDF Europe Diabetes Advocate Award 2024 Since 2012, IDF Europe has recognised excellence, innovation and commitment to the diabetes community through specific prizes and awards. Diabetes advocates are transforming the landscape of diabetes care in Europe and are significantly contributing to improving access to care and quality of life for PwD. In 2024, we will award an Advocate Award, supported by Lilly Diabetes, to celebrate a diabetes advocate for their contribution to advocating for PwD’s rights. Applications for the Diabetes Advocate Award will open soon. Stay tuned! 
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Support the IDF Europe-WHO Europe Declaration in your own language Last November, IDF Europe and WHO Europe held a High-Level Technical Summit which led to the signing of a Declaration calling on governing bodies to uphold their commitments and accelerate action on diabetes to improve health systems’ resilience and preparedness to crises. Organisations and individuals can sign the Declaration and become part of a powerful and united voice calling for stronger action on diabetes. To help with its use and dissemination, the Declaration has now been translated into more than 25 European languages, which can be found here. 
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We welcome Anna Fileppo and Cameron Keighron to our team! We are delighted to introduce two new members to the IDF Europe team. Anna Fileppo, our new Admin & Events Assistant, has extensive communication and logistics skills and supports the organisation of initiatives and events for our Member Associations. Cameron Keighron, our new Project Coordinator and YOURAH member, is currently completing their PhD in Stem Cell Research at the University of Galway and has previously worked in various health and social justice organisations. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Mia Bajramagic, former Project Coordinator, who left our team to pursue other professional opportunities. We wish her the best of luck in her new endeavours! 
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The diabetes community loses a beloved member in Yvonne Johns It is with deep sadness that we say goodbye to a cherished member of the diabetes community and an active diabetes advocate of our T2D platform. Yvonne Johns passed peacefully at her home on August 23, surrounded by her family, after a long battle with cancer. Despite the condition, Yvonne never stopped contributing and enjoying her work connecting PwD with each other and fundraising for Diabetes UK and other charities. We are particularly thankful to Yvonne for her strong engagement and dedication. Her passion, expertise and experience were an inspiration for the development of our Type 2 platform and her contribution has been instrumental in many key projects and activities. 
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Register to the Early Detection Policy Forum event on “Early Detection for autoimmune T1D”
During the week of the 60th EASD Annual Meeting in Madrid, IDF Europe in collaboration with the European Diabetes Forum (EUDF), the Spanish Diabetes Federation (Federación Española de Diabetes – FEDE), the Parliamentarians for Diabetes Global Network (PDGN) and Sanofi, will hold an Early Detection Policy Forum titled “Going beyond what we can see – early detection for autoimmune T1D”.
The event will be livestreamed from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
IDF EUROPE ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION WORK
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IDF Europe endorsed the The Kidney Manifesto published by the European Kidney Health Alliance (EKHA) identifies key priorities to improve kidney health in Europe during the 2024-2029 EU mandate. IDF Europe endorsed the manifesto and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with EKHA and other health-related organisations to reduce the burden of kidney disease, diabetes and other NCDs. 
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IDF Europe supported the HL4EU call to action for cross-sectoral approaches to healthy lifestyles Healthy Lifestyles for Europe (HL4EU) is an Erasmus+ funded project that aims to explore and promote cross-sectoral approaches to healthy lifestyles through physical activity. IDF Europe recently endorsed the HL4EU call to action to enable healthy lifestyles through comprehensive, cross-sectoral approaches to tackle NCDs, improve public health and people's quality of life and well-being. 
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Read our article on the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union On July 1, 2024, Hungary assumed the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Hungarian presidency’s health priorities are to continue revising the general pharmaceutical legislation (GPL) and take action on cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and organ donations and transplantations. IDF Europe welcomes the continued efforts to revise the GPL and calls on the Hungarian Presidency to recognise the close link between diabetes and CVD and call for a European CVD and Diabetes Plan. A unified plan would provide a cost-effective solution to improving prevention and care and building a healthier future for all Europeans. 
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Promoting brain health and prevention on the occasion of World Brain Day On World Brain Day, we raised awareness of the link between diabetes and brain health and the need to advance research to improve our understanding of how they are linked. The research study PRIME explores this connection with the hypothesis that the co-occurrence of multiple mental and physical diseases is caused by dysregulated insulin signaling in the brain. In connection with the PRIME study, IDF Europe along with other consortium partners, will attend the Brain Innovation Days (November 13-14) and talk about the involvement of patient organisations in research. 
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Raising awareness on World Hepatitis Day On World Hepatitis Day, we raised awareness of the link between hepatitis and diabetes. People living with T2D are at high risk of developing liver disease and people with liver disease have a higher risk of developing T2D as well. Given the role of the liver in regulating blood glucose level, conditions that affect liver function can in turn affect diabetes management. 
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Our call to action on World Humanitarian Day On August 19, we joined the “Act for humanity” campaign on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day, calling for support for every humanitarian worker who has put themselves at risk to deliver aid to those in need. Their dedication saves millions in conflict zones, including PwD, who require uninterrupted access to care and medicines. Attacks on humanitarian workers, healthcare structures and civilians must stop. 
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NEWS FROM EUROPE
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WHO Europe feature stories: Cajsa Lindberg “The hardest thing is never being able to really relax” WHO Europe recently published an interview with T1D Advocate and IDF Europe Advisor to the Board, Cajsa Lindberg. In the interview, Cajsa told her story of battling T1D and brain cancer at the same time: “The new technology of course makes everything easier, but the hardest thing is never being able to relax”. 
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WHO feature stories: Iryna Vlasenko “When you need help, people will come” Another interview published by WHO Europe features the story of T1D Advocate and IDF Vice President, Iryna Vlasenko. In the interview, Iryna told her story of learning how to live a full life with diabetes and the struggles of living through the war in Ukraine. “My father always said, ‘There are many kind people in the world and when you need help, people will come' ". 
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New WHO report on global levels of physical inactivity in adults
WHO recently published a report providing a summary of the latest global assessment of levels of physical inactivity globally, regionally and by country in adult populations.
The report highlights that nearly a third of adults (31%), about 1.8 billion people, are at risk of developing chronic diseases from not doing enough physical activity.
The publication includes a series of key policy actions for governments and stakeholders to tackle physical inactivity, each consistent with the WHO Global action plan on physical activity.
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Take the EPF survey on In 2017, the EU adopted new regulations for medical devices to enhance their performance and safety while fostering innovation. Over six years later, their full implementation has been significantly delayed, and their initial effects on patient safety, device availability and transparency are being closely examined. The European Patient Forum (EPF) is conducting a survey to gather feedback from patients and patients’ organisations on the impact of these regulations. The results will be summarised in a position paper to support EPF’s advocacy for a safe and fit-for-purpose regulatory framework for medical devices in Europe. 
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Take part in the Colive Colive Voice is an international digital health study led by the Luxembourg Institute of Health. The study aims to identify vocal biomarkers to improve diagnosis and monitoring of various chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and COVID-19, by evaluating voice features. The study is currently recruiting participants worldwide, speaking different languages and being either healthy or living with a chronic disease. Strengthening the effective use of digital health tools and telemedicine can support remote disease monitoring and help ease the burden of chronic conditions such as diabetes. 
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EU-FUNDED PROJECTS
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Subscribe to the DigiCare4You newsletter IDF Europe is part of the Horizon 2020 project, DigiCare4You, which aims to improve the early prevention and management of T2D and hypertension (HTN). The third edition of DigiCare4You’s newsletter will be published in September. Keep up to date with the project and subscribe to the newsletter. 
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Check out the DigiCare4You Country Profiles As part of DigiCare4You, country profiles on diabetes and HTN have been developed to provide an overview of the prevalence and trends in T2D and HTN, and the policies and national responses that have been developed to tackle these conditions in the country. The country profiles for Albania and Bulgaria were published this month. 
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DigiCare4You is now also on Facebook!
Follow the project here:
UPCOMING EVENTS ACROSS EUROPE
Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND) 29th Annual Conference
Online, September 6, 2024 |For more information, click here
European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 60th Annual Meeting
Madrid, September 10-13, 2024 |For more information, click here
IDF Europe Regional Council
Rome, October 12-13, 2024
International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) 50th Annual Conference
Lisbon, October 16-19, 2024 |For more information, click here
Brain Innovation Days
Brussels, November 13-14, 2024 | For more information, click here
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