100 YEARS LATER: IF NOT NOW? WHEN?

World Diabetes Day (WDD) was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the serious health threat posed by diabetes. It is also the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best one hundred years ago. WDD is the world’s most important diabetes awareness campaign, which aims to bring diabetes in the public spotlight and on the political agenda.

Every year, the WDD campaign focuses on a particular theme that runs for one or more years. The theme for WDD 2021-23 is Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?. Millions of people living with diabetes (PwD) in Europe do not have equal access to diabetes care, education, psychological support, healthy food and a safe place to exercise. We, at IDF Europe, strongly believe that access to all diabetes medicines and technologies required to achieve the best possible health outcomes must be considered a basic right of PwD. It is time that diabetes, this complex disease which affects all genders, all generations, all socio-economic groups, and which is one of the principal causes of mortality in Europe, finally receives the attention it requires.

In 2021, we also celebrate the centenary of the discovery of insulin. One hundred years after its discovery, insulin is still essential for many PwD. Without insulin, people living with Type 1 diabetes will die, and people with Type 2 diabetes (T2D) on insulin therapy will develop life-threatening complications. However, access to insulin as well as to new diabetes medicines and treatments for people living with Type 2 diabetes and new tools and technologies varies greatly in Europe, among and within individual countries. Some medicines and technologies only become accessible in some European countries several years after they first get adopted in others, or are restricted to people with some types of diabetes or linked to their age or are only accessible to those able to afford them and/or able to understand them. 

It is unacceptable that insulin and diabetes care should not be accessible to all, irrespective of where they live or what their financial means are. This year, the centenary of the discovery of insulin and WDD present a unique opportunity to call on all European governments to ensure that their health budgets and their countries’ reimbursement systems enable PwD to access the diabetes care they need. 

100 years ago, the discovery of insulin saved millions of lives; it paved the way for new treatments and technological innovations. Today, the diabetes community is still looking at how these advances can benefit all those who need them. 

IF NOT NOW, WHEN?

WORLD DIABETES DAY ACTIVITIES

IDF Europe Webinars on World Diabetes Day

To mark the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin and to celebrate World Diabetes Day, IDF Europe organised two webinars, on November 16 and on November 18, around the theme of “Access to Diabetes Care – IF NOT NOW, WHEN?".

The first webinar focused on the role of digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving access to diabetes care. The meeting was co-hosted by MEP Sirpa Pietinäinen, MMD co-chair, and by MEP Marisa Matias. 

During the webinar, speakers explored the potential of digital technologies and AI in transforming traditional healthcare systems into personalised patient-centric systems as well as the challenges posed by these technologies and the way to overcome them.

The webinar’s speakers represented three distinct perspectives. Jaivir Pall, a Type 1 Diabetes advocate and digital health entrepreneur spoke from the perspective of people living with diabetes and focused his talk on the role of technologies in diabetes self management. The healthcare professional’s perspective was provided by Sufyan Hussain from King's College London, who gave examples of the role of AI in clinical decision making. Lastly, Luke Slawomirski, an E-health specialist and consultant for the OECD, provided the perspective of decision makers, and addressed the potential of AI in population health management.

The following priorities were highlighted by IDF Europe Chair-elect, Professor Nebojsa Lalic during the webinar:

• Create interoperable data sharing and patient-centred systems to improve the life of PwD and people living with other NCDs.
• Set up a data governance framework that respects people’s security and privacy rules while ensuring data quality standards.
• Healthcare professionals (HCPs) to educate, train and guide people on the use of these technologies to improve their digital/health literacy and foster trust.
• Act quickly and in a coordinated way to make these digital technologies accessible to everyone. 

You can watch the recording of the webinar here.

You can download the report of the webinar here. 

The second webinar focused on the access situation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and looked at innovative financing mechanisms/strategies that could be put in place to ensure that the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Targets 3.4 and 3.8 can be achieved.

During the webinar, speakers explored the key strategies supporting improved availability and affordability of core diabetes interventions and services including budget prioritisation, re-design of healthcare systems and review of procurement systems, with specific examples from Romania, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

IDF Europe Chair-elect, Professor Nebojsa Lalic underlined that to achieve universal health coverage and improve health outcomes for all PwD, it is time to rethink how care is financed and implement innovative strategies. Other speakers also identified some common challenges and needs across the region and how mobilising private capital through a blended finance ecosystem has the potential to improve care delivery, reduce out-of-pocket expenses and catalyse cost-effective prevention.

Professor Lalic closed the webinar on a call for action to improve access to quality diabetes care, highlighting the following priorities:

• Prevention has shown to be effective at reducing the risk or delaying the onset of Type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications; is cost-effective and should be prioritised in healthcare systems;

• Healthcare systems should be re-designed, with a focus on investment in primary care;

• New financing mechanisms should be introduced to decrease out-of-pocket expenses, ensure equitable and affordable access to quality care for PwD and increase investments in innovations;

• More transparency and improved country competence are required to improve procurement systems and;

• PwD should be adequately represented in co-designing healthcare systems and should also be involved in Health Technology Assessment processes.

Find below a Russian translation of the main insights of the webinar:

Доступ к лечению диабета – ЕСЛИ НЕ СЕЙЧАС, ТО КОГДА?

Инновационное финансирование для устойчивого доступа к качественному обслуживанию при диабете в Центральной и Вос точной Европе - Насколько Мы Далеки От Всеобщего Медицинского Страхования?

18 ноября 2021 года в рамках кампании Всемирного Дня Борьбы С Диабетом IDF Europe провела вебинар, посвященный странам Центральной и Восточной Европы (ЦВЕ), где необходимы новые стратегии и механизмы финансирования для достижения Целей устойчивого развития до 2030 года, в частности Цели 3.4* и 3.8*. Эксперты из региона обобщили ключевые стратегии, поддерживающие улучшение доступности к основным услугам при диабете, включая определение бюджетных приоритетов, изменение дизайна систем здравоохранения и анализ систем закупок.

 Избранный председатель IDF в Европе профессор Небойша Лалич подчеркнул, что для достижения всеобщего медицинского страхования и улучшения показателей здоровья всех людей, живущих с диабетом, пора переосмыслить, как финансируется медицинская помощь, и внедрить инновационные стратегии финансирования системы здравоохранения. Новые подходы к финансированию особенно необходимы в странах ЦВЕ, как показывают исследования из Румынии, Казахстана и Узбекистана. Другие спикеры также указали на некоторые общие проблемы и потребности диабетического сообщества во всем регионе и как мобилизация частного капитала через экосистему смешанного финансирования может улучшить оказание медицинской помощи, сократить личные расходы и стимулировать экономически эффективную профилактику.

 Профессор Лалич завершил вебинар, призвав к действиям по улучшению доступа к качественному обслуживанию при диабете в Центральной и Восточной Европе с помощью инновационных механизмов финансирования. От имени IDF Europe профессор Лалич подчеркнул следующие приоритеты:

• Профилактика показала свою эффективность в снижении риска или отсрочке диабета 2 типа и связанных с ним осложнений; профилактика является экономически эффективной и заслуживает приоритетного внимания в системах здравоохранения;

• Следует перестроить системы здравоохранения с акцентом на инвестиции в первичную медико-санитарную помощь;

• Следует внедрить механизмы нового финансирования, чтобы снизить расходы людей с диабетом, обеспечить справедливый и недорогой доступ к качественной помощи и увеличить инвестиции в инновации;

• Для улучшения систем закупок требуется высокий уровень транспарентности и государственной компетентности;

• Люди, живущие с диабетом, должны быть адекватно представлены в совместном проектировании систем здравоохранения, а также должны участвовать в процессах оценки технологий здравоохранения.

You can watch the recording of the webinar here.

You can download the report of the webinar in English here and in Russian here.

Dedoc - IDF Europe event 

For the first time, and in collaboration with IDF Europe, #dedoc° hosted an international #docday° on World Diabetes Day. After a brief introduction by Dr Niti Pall, IDF Europe Chair, Bastian Hauck, the founder and CEO of #dedoc, took us through a tour of Europe. Some #dedoc° voices and IDF Europe's Young Advocates shared with the online community how they were celebrating World Diabetes Day in this special year of the Centennial of Insulin. The event demonstrated the thriving dynamism and commitment of the diabetes community to raise awareness and promote equitable and sustainable access to diabetes care.

For more information, visit here. 

IDF Europe’s Joint Partner events

To mark World Diabetes Day, IDF Europe’s partner, Boehringer Ingelheim as part of the Boehringer Ingelheim/Lilly Alliance, ran a series of videos on the future of diabetes, including one featuring a conversation between Professor Nebosja Lalic, IDF Europe’s Chair-Elect and Dr Marino Fernandez, Associate Head of Medicine, Therapeutic Area Cardiometabolism & Respiratory, Boehringer Ingelheim. The conversation explored a number of topics including the breakthrough advances in new therapies for Type 2 diabetes, which not only contribute to lower blood glucose but also can protect the central organs damaged by diabetes such as heart and kidney as well as the need for a personalised, patient-centred and holistic approach to prevent diabetes-related complications in the long term. Listen to the full conversation here.

In parallel to this, on November 9, Niti Pall, IDF Europe Chair, also participated in a Boehringer Ingelheim/Lilly Alliance webinar targeted at HCPs, and representing the views, needs and preferences of people living with Type 2 diabetes. During the webinar Dr Pall outlined IDF Europe’s priorities: improving access to care and quality of life, increasing the voice of PwDand reducing diabetes incidence and diabetes-related complications. She also detailed the most common barriers to the implementation of diabetes evidence into practice and the actions that HCPs can take to promote a meaningful change in diabetes care.

Members News

To mark World Diabetes Day and the Centenary of Insulin, in the past months our Members Associations have been engaging in a broad range of activities such as podcasts, concerts, exhibitions, webinars, newsletters, etc. 

Visit our new website Insulin at 100 – IDF Europe to learn more about the Centenary Activities across Europe.

IDF EUROPE NEWS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS

IDF Europe Prizes

The individual country profiles from our Diabetes & COVID-19 survey for Portugal and Romania are now available on our website.

We will continue to publish more country profiles as they become available to highlight how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of PwD across Europe.

IDC Webinar – Prevention for People living with Diabetes in COVID Times

To mark World Diabetes Day 2021, on November 16, Dr Konstantinos Makrilakis, IDF Europe board member, co-chaired a webinar organised by the Influenza Diabetes Community (IDC) with Dr Marco Goeijenbier (IDC Chair). This webinar aimed to explore best practice examples relating to the prevention of respiratory viral infections for PwD, examine new research as well as identify gaps in awareness.

 Read more here.

The recording of the webinar can be accessed here.

EP event: The Compelling Case for Better Screening and Secondary Prevention 

Health First Europe and the co-chairs of the EP Interest Group on Innovation in Health and Social Care held a virtual roundtable on October 27 to raise awareness of the effective strategies relating to screening and early diagnosis, as well as policy recommendations that can prevent not only cancer but also a wide range of other conditions such as diabetes.

Professor Nebojsa Lalic, IDF Europe Chair-Elect, presented the importance of screening and early diagnosis of T2D , shared examples of good practices and lessons learned and highlighted IDF Europe’s recommendation to reduce the incidence of Type 2 diabetes and diabetes-related complications. For more information about the recommendations, please refer to the MMD Blueprint for Action on Diabetes in the EU by 2030. 

Click here to learn more.

Are you living with Type 2 diabetes? We would love to hear from you!

Are you living with T2D and based in Europe? You welcome advice but believe that you should have the final say because you are the one who knows best about your needs, wishes and hopes? You don’t want diabetes to take over your life but you want to make sure that everything is done to improve your care and quality of life? 

We would love to hear from you! And to invite you to provide testimonials, participate in the establishment of a platform of people living with T2D and/or participate as a patient representative in EU-funded projects.

If you are interested, or know someone that may be, please contact Simona at simona.vitali@idf-europe.org!

We are looking for a new Communications Intern! 

IDF Europe is looking for a new Communications Intern to join the team. The job holder will support IDF Europe in developing and managing our internal and external communication (under the supervision of IDF Europe Regional Manager).

Click here to know how to apply!

NEWS FROM EUROPE

Applications for the three funding programmes of the European Innovation Council (EIC) are now open! 

We encourage all innovative organisations in the diabetes community to apply for one of the three funding programmes of the European Innovation Council (EIC). The EIC was established under the Horizon Europe programme in March 2021 to develop and scale up breakthrough technologies and game-changing innovations. The EIC has an overall budget of €10.1 billion divided into three main funding mechanisms, each with their own purpose – EIC Accelerator, EIC Pathfinder and EIC Transition.

Read more about the different funding mechanisms and application procedure here.

IDF EUROPE ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION WORK

IDF Europe Position Paper on Vaccination of People Living with Diabetes

As the vaccination campaign for influenza along with booster shots of COVID-19 has started this winter across Europe, IDF Europe has developed a position paper on the vaccination of PwD. People living with diabetes are at a higher risk of severe complications from many vaccine-preventable diseases than the general population. Even when a person’s diabetes is well managed, some physiological factors such as inflammation or blood pressure can create an environment in the body that makes it harder for the immune system to effectively fight infections. This paper looks into the vaccines that are specifically recommended for PwD. A situation analysis of the vaccination in Europe is then provided followed by a review of recent developments and recommendations on the administration of COVID-19 booster shots as well as the concomitant flu and COVID-19 vaccination and policy recommendations to ensure that PwD are fully protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Click here to read the position paper.

International Days are a great opportunity for IDF Europe to communicate on diabetes and to raise awareness. 

On World Sight Day IDF Europe draws attention to the importance of systematic diabetes retinopathy screening to avoid vision complications or blindness

On the second Thursday of October annually, the global community celebrates World Sight Day to raise awareness of eye health and the importance of regular vision check-ups. This year’s World Sight Day fell on 14 October and was themed ‘Love Your Eyes’. More than one-third of all PwD develop diabetes-related retinopathy (DR), and 12% vision-threatening retinopathy. In Europe, around 950,000 people who live with diabetes develop diabetes-related retinopathy. DR is a mostly preventable complication of diabetes that can lead to vision impairment and blindness; optimal diabetes management as well as systematic screening to identify individuals at risk, and early action are key to reducing the risk of this complication. 

Click here to learn more.

World Stroke Day

On World Stroke Day (October 29), IDF Europe shared videos on social media highlighting the urgent need for action to reduce cardiovascular risk in PwD. Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death for people living with T2D; yet, an estimated 80% of CVD, including heart disease and stroke, is preventable.

Implementing the latest guidelines and treatment approaches is an absolute prerequisite for preventing cardiovascular complications and improving health outcomes for people living with Type 2 diabetes.

Check our Facebook page to learn more!

Click here to watch the interview with Dr José Manuel Boavida, President of the Portuguese Diabetes Association (APDP), to learn more about CVDs and diabetes.

EU FUNDED PROJECTS

Check out the Dementia In Europe magazine to read more about the project!

We are pleased to announce the launch of the official www.digicare4you.eu website along with its twitter account @DigiCare4You. The website also features an introductory user-friendly animated video. 

MMD ACTIVITIES

The first issue of the new MMD newsletter is out!

Do you want to know more about IDF Europe's news and events? Please confirm that you are still happy to hear from us!