Momentous Declaration signed during the High-Level Technical Summit on Diabetes
Each year, November represents a special month for the diabetes community. Last year, the celebration of the centenary of the discovery of insulin culminated in the adoption of a Resolution at the European Parliament. This year, to build on this significant event and elevate diabetes on the political agenda across the entire European region, key diabetes stakeholders gathered in Belgrade, Serbia on November 28-29, at a High-Level Technical Summit, co-organised by IDF Europe and WHO Europe. Together, we emphasised the urgent need for accelerating action on commitments to improve diabetes detection and quality of care.
During the Summit, IDF Europe and WHO Europe co-signed a Declaration, representing a collective call to action urging governing bodies to uphold their commitments on diabetes such as the Voluntary Targets on NCDs, the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Diabetes Targets. The Declaration aims to promote improvements in the detection and diagnosis of diabetes and its complications as well as in the delivery of high-quality care and to ensure equal access to the right quality treatment at the right time and place for all people living with diabetes (PwD) and those at risk across Europe.
IDF Europe extends its heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated and contributed to the success of the Summit – PwD who shared their inspiring stories and expertise, our dedicated member associations, the excellent speakers and the representatives from Member States who showed their commitment to the diabetes community.
The Declaration marks a crucial step towards shaping the future of diabetes, improving health outcomes and quality of life for all PwD and those at risk, as well as enhancing population health in general. During the closing remarks, IDF Europe Board Member, Prof. João Filipe Raposo, stressed that "diabetes is a stress test for our healthcare systems. If healthcare systems are equipped to respond well to the complexity of diabetes, they will be able to effectively address other chronic conditions and diabetes-related complications. Our challenge now is to maintain the momentum generated by the Summit. We need to keep working together and rely on all stakeholders' capacity to accelerate action on diabetes."
IDF Europe will continue coordinating efforts across the diabetes community and beyond, collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to gather support for the Declaration and elevate diabetes on the political agenda.
Now is the time to hold governments to account for their commitments and re-design our healthcare systems to improve the effectiveness of diabetes prevention, management and care, ensuring that all PwD and those at risk can live long and fulfilling lives, leaving no one behind.
Help Accelerate Action and ENDORSE the Declaration TODAY
Together, United, Let's Act on Diabetes!
OUR ACTIVITIES DURING DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH
IDF Europe key messages throughout Diabetes Awareness Month
November 1 marked the beginning of Diabetes Awareness Month. On that day, IDF Europe launched a social media campaign to raise awareness of the key actions that are still required to improve diabetes prevention, management and care, and ensure that all PwD and those at risk can live long and fulfilling lives.
Blood glucose testing events at EU institutions
Each year, during the month of November, IDF Europe organises blood glucose testing events at several EU institutions buildings to raise awareness of diabetes, its risk factors and the importance of early detection. This year, we held seven blood glucose testing events and we tested on average 150-200 people on each day. These sessions were again a great success, enabling instructive conversations around diabetes
Messages from the IDF Europe Board and PwD on World Diabetes Day 2023
On the occasion of World Diabetes Day (WDD), and in the lead-up to the IDF Europe-WHO Europe Summit on Accelerating Action on Diabetes Commitment, IDF Europe Board Members and PwD shared their perspectives on the actions still required to bend the curve on diabetes and improve quality of life.
We wish to thank everyone who joined our campaign and contributed to raising awareness of diabetes!
IDF Europe at #docday° on World Diabetes Day 2023
Each year, on WDD, IDF Europe participates in a joint online event with #dedoc to celebrate the diabetes community. This year, Prof. Tadej Battelino, IDF Europe Chair-Elect, May-Britt Skoradal, Faroese Diabetes Association Chair, and Maryna Yankiv, a diabetes advocate and YOURAH member from Ukraine, participated in the event to talk about the important role national diabetes associations play in supporting PwD.
CHECK LinkedIn Live event on diabetes-related complications
On November 14, IDF Europe Director, Strategy and Policy, Sabine Dupont, participated in the CHECK LinkedIn Live event "Listen to the heart & kidneys in diabetes: Revealing silent threats", organised by Bayer, where she presented the burden that diabetes and its related complications, such as chronic kidney and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), place on people living with the condition.
Statement by EU Commissioner Kyriakides on World Diabetes Day
On WDD, we also welcomed EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides’ statement and call on Member States and other stakeholders to increase collaboration and accelerate action to improve the lives of PwD. We share the Commissioner’s call that we must do more to respond to the burden of diabetes, from strengthening prevention, early diagnosis and management to reducing health inequalities across the EU.
World Diabetes Day at the European Medicines Agency
On November 14-15, IDF Vice President, Iryna Vlasenko, participated in the European Medicines Agency (EMA) Patients' and Consumers' (PCWP) and Healthcare Professionals' (HCPWP) Working Parties meeting to celebrate WDD. During the meeting, she shared information and resources to raise awareness of diabetes and its complexity among working parties’ members.
PCWP Co-Chair, Marko Korenjak, welcomed the initiative and highlighted the importance of including patient organisations such as IDF Europe in the PCWP and HCPWP to represent people living with diabetes and other chronic conditions in the development of regulatory documents in the medicines area.
One year since the adoption of the EU Parliament Resolution on Diabetes
November 23 marked the one-year anniversary of the EU Parliament Resolution on Diabetes. On this occasion, PwD urged the Commission and EU governments to heed the calls made in the Resolution.
Throughout the week commemorating this important milestone, we also shared information on social media about the key articles of the Resolution and how their implementation can help improve the lives of EU citizens living with diabetes and those at risk.
Op-ed by EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola: the human stories behind diabetes
On November 29, EURACTIV published an op-ed authored by EU Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, and supported by IDF Europe. President Metsola discussed the rising prevalence of diabetes in Europe, emphasising its burden on individuals.
She highlighted recent positive developments for diabetes management, such as advances in medicine and technology, as well as presented some of the remaining challenges, including the fact that one third of PwD remain undiagnosed and that up to half of them do not achieve their treatment targets.
The piece stressed the EU Parliament’s commitment to addressing the diabetes epidemic through resolutions and initiatives, aimed at improving PwD’s lives by collaborating with Member States and adopting standardised criteria for data collection.
We wish to thank President Metsola for her continuous commitment to the diabetes community.
MEMBER NEWS
Presentation at the Italian Ministry of Health on World Diabetes Day
On November 14, IDF Europe Board Member, Elena Frattolin, participated in an event organised by the Parliamentary Committee on obesity, diabetes and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) at the Ministry of Health, in Italy.
The event aimed at celebrating WDD and raising awareness among policymakers of the fact that diabetes is one of the major challenges currently faced by healthcare systems.
During her intervention, Elena Frattolin explained the complexity of diabetes and stressed both the importance of implementing integrated care to help PwD achieve optimal health outcomes and the best possible quality of life and the urgent need to adopt a “health-in-all-policies” approach that addresses the environmental, cultural and socio-economic determinants of health.
Advocating for a National Resolution on Diabetes in Portugal
On November 17, APDP (Diabetes Portugal) representatives held a session in the Senate Room at the House of Parliament, in Lisbon, with the title “The drama of diabetes. Why do we need a National Resolution?”. The session was organised in collaboration with the Parliamentary Health Committee and with the participation of ten other Committees with the aim of addressing the policy actions that are required to tackle diabetes in a comprehensive way.
The session ultimately called on policymakers to adopt a National Resolution on Diabetes by building on the EU Parliament Resolution voted one year ago which was presented during the event by four Portuguese MEPs.
To continue advocating for increased policy action, APDP is developing a campaign aimed at gathering support from other relevant institutions and the diabetes community at large.
IDF EUROPE NEWS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
IDF Europe Regional Council and TEAM meeting
On November 27-28, before the start of the IDF Europe-WHO Europe High-Level Technical Summit on Diabetes, we held the IDF Europe Regional Council and the TEAM (“Together Everyone Achieves More”) meeting, in Belgrade. The day represented an incredible opportunity to meet our member associations in person and to strengthen our network across Europe.
The first part of the meeting included a review of IDF Europe's activities and financial and statutory matters in 2023, and a presentation of our priority projects and initiatives for 2024.
On the second day, IDF Europe Advisor to the Board, Prof. Massimo Massi Benedetti, presented the CHIEF project – a European Commission initiative aimed at improving the availability of information on NCDs through the development of a collaborative health information framework across Europe.
Following this session, we kicked off the TEAM meeting with a review of specific programmes and regional initiatives. This included a presentation of IDF Europe’s youth activities by Uroš Bogdanović, YOURAH Network Coordinator; an overview of the Nordic Forum by Björn Ehlin, Chairman of the Swedish Diabetes Association; and a presentation of Ride for Ukraine by Iryna Vlasenko, IDF Vice President.
Subsequently, Prof. Tadej Battelino, IDF Europe Chair-Elect, Elisabeth Dupont, IDF Europe Regional Manager, and Jessica Nastos, Project and Communications Intern, presented IDF Europe’s initiatives addressing the urgency of type 2 diabetes (T2D). The presentation focused primarily on our recent publication, “Type 2 Diabetes: a preventable catastrophe?” and the work of our T2D platform. In the final session of the TEAM meeting, Sabine Dupont, IDF Europe Director of Strategy and Policy, presented IDF Europe’s communications and advocacy plan aimed at leveraging the Summit and the EU Parliament Resolution on Diabetes ahead of the EU Parliamentary elections in 2024. This included the presentation of a toolkit that will be shared with our member associations to support their advocacy and policy efforts at the national level. Illustrating how the EU Parliament Resolution can be effectively utilised nationally, representatives from APDP (Diabetes Portugal), Dr. José Boavida and Dr. Rita Nortadas, presented their advocacy activities targeting various Parliamentary Committees in Portugal.
IDF Europe Country Profiles: Uzbekistan
As part of our Centenary of Insulin campaign, we are releasing national factsheets presenting key facts about diabetes care, with the purpose of raising awareness and enabling policymakers to make better decisions when it comes to diabetes care.
This month, we released the country profile for Uzbekistan!
Click here or on the image to read the factsheet and learn more about diabetes care in Uzbekistan.
IDF Europe Twinning Programme
As part of our Centenary of Insulin campaign, IDF Europe has been facilitating a dedicated knowledge exchange programme for all our member associations.
The objective of the Twinning Programme is to build on national expertise and foster strategic collaboration between member associations to grow their capacity. By doing so, one’s strengths are used to support someone else’s needs.
The Twinning Programme consists of one-on-one collaborations between member associations and a webinar series on key topics of interest for our members.
If your association should like to be considered for the Twinning Programme, please contact martina.boccardo@idf-europe.org.
NEWS FROM EUROPE
European Commission communication to address medicines shortages in the EU
On October 24, the European Commission published a Communication to prevent and mitigate medicine shortages at the EU level. This document includes a set of actions to address medicine shortages in the long run for “this winter, next winter and beyond”, as mentioned in the Commission’s press release. The Communication responded to a strong call by Members States and the European Parliament, to implement continued and coordinated action to address supply challenges and to improve the resilience of Europe’s medicines supply chains in the long run.
The actions described in the Communication draw on existing elements in the pharmaceutical reform such as the earlier notification of shortages by companies and the development of shortage prevention plans for all medicines. Actions also include the launch of a European Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism for medicines, a list of critical medicines, regulatory flexibilities and EU guidance on procurement.
This document is a step towards building a strong European Health Union, by facilitating coordinated actions to respond to one of the most pressing public health issues at EU-level.
SANT/ENVI INI Report on non-communicable diseases
On November 7, the ENVI Committee adopted the own-initiative (INI) report on NCDs drafted by the new EU Parliament Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT) with 63 votes in favour, two against and five abstentions.
The report highlighted the status of, and recommended action on, NCDs prevention, detection and early diagnosis, improvements to NCDs care and patient empowerment, increased support to innovation in technologies and medicines, NCDs awareness, research and knowledge sharing.
Over the past months, IDF Europe contributed to the development of the draft report by sharing proposed amendments with several MEPs. Some of these were incorporated in the final report. They covered the importance of ensuring timely access to high-quality care, supporting self-management, engaging with patient organisations and people living with NCDs, adopting person-centred and integrated care and supporting the digitalisation of national healthcare systems.
ESWI Campaign on Influenza and Diabetes
On November 14, the European Scientific Working group on Influenza (ESWI) launched a four-week campaign to raise awareness of the link between diabetes and influenza and to increase influenza vaccine uptake among PwD.
Each week, ESWI releases inspiring quotes to help PwD remember the importance of flu vaccination.
Check out the quote from Prof. João Filipe Raposo, APDP Clinical Director and IDF Europe Board Member.
Prof. Kamlesh Khunti received the 2023 Leonard Award
In 2021, Eli Lilly celebrated the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin by launching the Leonard Award which recognises champions in the diabetes community who are dedicated to advancing diabetes management and care.
We were delighted to learn that this year, Prof. Kamlesh Khunti is one of the recipients of the award for his significant contributions to diabetes care and leading research efforts focused on early diabetes identification and interventions, profoundly impacting diabetes care in the United Kingdom and in Europe.
We wish to congratulate Prof. Khunti and to thank him for his invaluable support to our advocacy initiatives throughout the year.
WHO Europe launches “Therapeutic patient education: an introductory guide”
On November 15, WHO Europe held a webinar to launch the updated version of the WHO introductory guide to therapeutic patient education (TPE). The purpose of the guide is to equip policymakers and healthcare professionals to provide better access to effective TPE for all people living with chronic conditions such as diabetes.
Several members of the IDF Europe community participated in the launch event. João Valente Nabais, IDF Vice President, provided his personal perspective on the importance of TPE for PwD; Prof. Florian Toti, President of the Albanian Diabetes Association, discussed the delivery of TPE for PwD in Albania; and Prof. João Filipe Raposo, APDP Clinical Director and IDF Europe Board Member, moderated the panel discussion on overcoming barriers to the implementation of TPE.
EU Joint Action JACARDI: reducing the burden of diabetes and CVD
On November 27-28, a new four-year project, the Joint Action on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes (JACARDI), was launched in Rome. JACARDI is coordinated by the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS) and gathers ministries, public health bodies, non-governmental organisations and universities, to assist EU Member States in reducing the burden of diabetes, CVD and their associated risk factors, both at the individual and societal levels.
More than 140 pilot projects will be implemented to explore solutions for the prevention, early detection, treatment, care and self-management of diabetes and CVD, with a particular focus on:
Enhancing health literacy and raising awareness of diabetes and CVD among the general population
Implementing effective primary prevention measures, screening and improved care pathways for diabetes and CVD among high-risk groups
Enhancing self-management support and labour market participation for people living with diabetes and CVD
Improving data availability, quality and accessibility across the patient journey
Promoting equity in access to healthcare services and information
Visit our website to learn more about diabetes and its complications
EU-FUNDED PROJECTS
DigiCare4You Annual Meeting in Tirana
IDF Europe is part of the DigiCare4You Horizon 2020 project which aims to improve the early prevention and management of T2D and hypertension.
On November 20-21, IDF Europe, along with other DigiCare4You partners, attended the annual consortium meeting in Tirana, Albania. During the meeting, each partner provided a presentation on the advancement of their work packages. Following each presentation the consortium discussed challenges and next steps.
We were very pleased to see so many of our fellow consortium partners and participate in fruitful discussions on the progress of the project. We would like to offer a special thank you to our partners at the University of Medicine, Tirana and the Albanian Diabetes Association for their great organization and hospitality.
Get involved in Trials@Home!
IDF Europe is a consortium member of the EU-funded research project, Trials@Home, which aims to reshape clinical trial design, conduct and operations, by developing and piloting standards, recommendations and tools for the definition and operationalization of decentralized clinical trials in Europe.
Trials@Home is now recruiting. Do you want to get involved with the project?
If you are living with T2D on basal insulin, in one of the countries where the trial has already started – Germany, Denmark and the UK – or will start soon (Italy, Spain and Poland) and are interested in helping with the RADIAL proof-of-concept, you can learn more here.
If you are living with T2D in Austria, Germany or The Netherlands, then you can also take the Trials@Home Survey which aims to understand the preferences for participation in clinical trials of people living with T2D! The survey is being conducted among people >18 y/o living with T2D.
Extension of the RECOGNISED project
IDF Europe is part of the Horizon 2020 RECOGNISED project studying the biological mechanisms that cause structural and functional alterations in the retina in people with T2D, to determine whether these same pathways play a role in the events observed in the brain during the development of cognitive impairment and dementia.
RECOGNISED has been extended by one year until December 2024. Recently, researchers involved in the project have identified biomarkers for insulin resistance, inflammation and neurodegeneration as well as processes related to retina and brain neurodegeneration in animal models. The extension of the project will enable the collection of even more robust data and enhance the study's relevance.
MMD ACTIVITIES
Celebration of the one-year EP Resolution anniversary
During November 22-24, members of the MEPs Mobilising for Diabetes interest group at the European Parliament released video statements and postcards on the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the EU Parliament Resolution on Diabetes. MEPs used this occasion to recall the ambitious calls to action made in the resolution to improve diabetes prevention, management and care and call on the Commission and Member States to focus on their implementation.
We wish to thank all the participating MEPs for advocating for ambitious policy action on diabetes and representing the voice of people living with diabetes at the policy level.
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