As a test bed for every facet and component of healthcare systems, diabetes is a marker of their resilience
The burden of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is no longer to be demonstrated. In the European Union (EU), for example, NCDs account for 80% of the disease burden and the majority of premature deaths. Some 32 million people live with diabetes in the EU and 61 million across the European region. Half the people living with diabetes (PwD) do not achieve optimal blood glucose targets. Diabetes is the root cause of many other NCDs; one third of PwD develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) and one third also develops retinopathy; three-quarters of diabetes costs are linked to often preventable diabetes-related complications.
As well as having a devastating effect on individuals, diabetes and other NCDs have a major impact on health systems. As was demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic, health systems are at breaking point, largely because of their inability to deal with the number of people living with diabetes and other NCDs requiring care; and striking inequalities in access to medicines, technologies, supplies and care remain across European countries. COVID-19 and the disruption to routine diabetes care that resulted from it are also fuelling a late pandemic of diabetes-related complications.
To a greater extent than any other NCDs, diabetes’ complexity and its interplay with other conditions and with all levels of care means that its prevention, management and care make use of, and depend on, all aspects and elements of a national health system. Effective prevention and management of diabetes help keep people healthy and away from the healthcare system and identify early those at risk. This results in a reduction in the number of people requiring care for NCDs and an improvement in health outcomes (lower levels of complications leading to hospitalisations, for example). In turn, this boosts the resilience of healthcare systems through lower costs and better use of resources, freeing financial and human resources to improve the quality of care and/or broaden access for a higher number of citizens, across the entire health system.
As such, diabetes care is a marker of health systems’ quality, effectiveness, performance and ultimately, future resilience.
It is clear that we urgently need a paradigm shift to build stronger and more resilient health systems that are able to learn from, and to react to, health crises and can ensure the attainment of the best possible health outcomes and quality of life for everyone. To do this, national health systems must use diabetes as a marker, re-deploying their financial and human resources to build on effective prevention and management. This means creating health-enabling environments and addressing the determinants of health as well as strengthening the effectiveness of primary prevention. This also means addressing delays in diagnosis, screening and early action as well as improving diabetes management and secondary prevention through integrated, patient-centred care, improved education for both HCPs and PwD and uninterrupted access to medicines, technologies and care.
Ultimately, lowering the risk of developing diabetes and its complications and managing it more effectively will benefit not just PwD and those at risk of diabetes but also all people living with, or at risk of, developing other NCDs and other health service users.
MMD ACTIVITIES
Towards a New Diabetes Resolution: The Time To Act Is Now!
100 years after the discovery of insulin, 10 years after the first European Parliament Motion for a Resolution on Diabetes, the number of PwD continues to rise, and striking inequalities in access to care and treatment still persist across the EU. Diabetes affects everybody across all ages, socio-economic groups and geographies. It represents a huge personal and societal burden and is the root cause of many other NCDs. Effective diabetes prevention and management touches on all aspects of healthcare systems and are a marker of their future resilience.
Ahead of World Diabetes Day 2022 and to mobilise political support for a new Diabetes Resolution, IDF Europe and MEPs Mobilising for Diabetes invite you to a lunch debate at the European Parliament in Brussels, hosted by MEP István Ujhelyi, on 12 October, 11.00-13.00. MEP Ujhelyi has been a long-standing supporter of the diabetes cause and a strong ally of the diabetes community.
During the event, diabetes advocates will share real life stories of living with diabetes and reflect on the urgent need for a new Diabetes Resolution in 2022 to improve diabetes care and build resilient and sustainable health systems. This will be followed by an MEP panel discussion and a blood glucose testing outside the event venue during the whole day.
The agenda of the event will be available soon. Come and join us!
Please note that attendance can only be guaranteed to a limited number of people. Register soon to secure your spot!
Visit the MMD website to read more about the rationale for the new Diabetes Resolution and to follow our future events!
IDF EUROPE YOUTH PLATFORM
IDF Europe Hackathon
The concept of a Hackathon (the merging of hacking and a marathon) is no longer confined to the world of software programming! Alumni from IDF Europe’s 12 Youth Leadership Camps (YLC) and Youth Leadership Labs (YLL) have been invited to gather in Brussels for a weekend in mid-October for the first ever IDF Europe Hackathon. Participants from 16 different countries will come together not only to collaborate, generate ideas and innovate but also to build a community and to co-create a platform where ideas and concepts can be nurtured into reality. The goals of a Hackathon normally include learning, education, meeting new people, fun; the absolute goal for the IDF Europe Hackathon is to bring the YLC/YLL Alumni together, to strengthen and re-energise the community of incredible youth advocates and to empower them to use their voices, share and exchange ideas, and to take action! We truly believe if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.
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 has 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 healthcare professionals 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
MEMBER NEWS
“Sight is everything! Check yourself!" – the second eye screening campaign of the Bulgarian Diabetes Association
Following the success of their first eye screening campaign in 2021, the Bulgarian Diabetes Association (BDA), in collaboration with Bayer Bulgaria, conducted a second campaign between May and July 2022. The aim was to provide people living with diabetes in remote areas of the country with the opportunity to get screened for eye disease that can lead to vision impairment and blindness.
During the campaign, a medical team of ophthalmologists, equipped with a mobile unit, moved across 31 towns throughout the country and examined 1,754 people. As a result of the screenings, the medical team found eye problems in 1,188 people, of whom 778 complained about their vision. Following the consultations, 1,047 people were referred for additional test, and 862 were referred for treatment.
The results of the BDA campaigns emphasise the importance of screening for diabetes-related complications so that early diagnosis and timely treatment can prevent the development of irreversible complications that can negatively affect the quality of life of PwD.
Read more here
"The Diabetes Lab” - the new podcast of the Swedish Diabetes Association on diabetes research
The Swedish Diabetes Association will be launching a new podcast on diabetes research which is made possible thanks to the Diabetes Fund, which supports diabetes research as well as initiatives to increase knowledge about diabetes and improve the life of those living with the condition.
The various episodes of Diabeteslabbet (Diabetes Lab) will see the participation of key scientists in Sweden, and will address questions such as “which problems are diabetes scientists currently trying to solve?”, “how close are they to new breakthroughs?”.
Commenting on the launch of the podcast, the Chairman of the Swedish Diabetes Association and the Diabetes fund, Björn Ehlin, remarked that “Through the Diabeteslabbet, we want to deliver information that can bring hope to people living with diabetes in an easy way. It is very important to us to spread knowledge about current research, and to inform the public about how we are using donations to improve research and, ultimately, people’s lives.”
The first five episodes of the podcast will be released in late October and will be available in Swedish on all main podcast platforms in the country. The first season will focus on the work of laboratories in which stem cells are programmed to produce insulin, and researchers will explain why some people develop T2D and others do not.
IDF EUROPE NEWS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
IDF Europe Regional Council in Lisbon – December 4, 2022
The IDF Europe Regional Council will be held in Lisbon on December 4. The Regional Council has traditionally taken place the day before the IDF Congress, and it represents one of our most important annual events. The day is an opportunity to review the activities carried out throughout the year, share best practices and discuss upcoming projects as well as financial matters. This year, the Regional Council will also elect the new IDF Europe Regional Board for the years 2023-2025.
We are looking forward to meeting all our members in Lisbon!
IDF Europe Centenary of Insulin campaign – The country profiles for North Macedonia and Poland are now out!
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. To support the factsheets, Presidents and/or Board Members of National Diabetes Associations, members of IDF Europe, share their views about the situation in their countries, highlighting some of the recent achievements, the role of their association and the gaps and challenges that still need to be addressed. Young advocates from our YOURAH network are also sharing their personal stories and experiences about access to diabetes care and education in their countries.
This month, we released the country profiles for North Macedonia and Poland!
Striking in North Macedonia is how well developed ehealth is and the national statistics for people on insulin treatment which it is able to build on to improve care.
In Poland, meanwhile, national diabetes associations have been playing a key role in recent years in improving access to diabetes care, modern medications and technologies.
Click here or on the images to learn more about diabetes care in North Macedonia and in Poland.
Watch the video testimonials from Dr. Tatjana Milenkovic, President of the Macedonian Diabetes Association, and Tanja Shatanovska, a diabetes advocate, to learn more about progress in diabetes treatment 100 years after the discovery of insulin, and about the need for increased access to innovative therapy and medical devices of assured quality in North Macedonia.
Watch the video testimonials from Anna Śliwińska, President of the Polish Diabetes Association, and Oliwia Kaczmarek, a diabetes advocate, to learn more about the stigma surrounding insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the need for extending access to diabetes education, and modern medications and technologies to people living with T2D.
Click here to read the country profiles for Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Portugal, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
We thank our members and the young advocates who are participating in our campaign, and we look forward to publishing more country profiles.
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 some 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.
IDF Europe symposium at EASD: “Improving the HCP-PwD interaction for better health outcomes, quality of life and resilient health systems”
During the 58th EASD Annual Meeting on September 19, IDF Europe held a symposium to explore the key components of the relationship between people living with T2D and their primary healthcare professionals for achieving optimal health outcomes and quality of life, and to highlight what needs to be put in place to ensure that this interaction is effective and promotes a person-centred and holistic approach to diabetes management.
After an introduction on the work conducted by IDF Europe’s platform of people living with T2D on the HCP-PwD interaction, three panel discussions focused on three complementary approaches including the HCP as a member of a multi-disciplinary team; the implementation of guideline-directed therapies; and the engagement of HCPs and PwD in clinical trials to improve their interaction and health outcomes.
Read more here
Much of the introduction to the symposium was based on the results of consultations held with members of the Type 2 Diabetes platform, as well as the results of a survey conducted in August. The results of the survey will ultimately contribute to the development of recommendations on how to improve the relationship and, subsequently, the quality of life and health outcomes of PwD.
Welcome to the IDF Europe team!
We are delighted to announce that three alumni of the IDF Europe’s Youth Leadership Camp joined our team in August.
Mia Bajramagic joined the team as Project Coordinator. Mia is a medical student at the School of Medicine of the University of Split, in Croatia. She has extensive experience as a volunteer, patient advocate and student doctor at her local University hospital and in the community.
Svea Krutisch joined the team as Communication Officer. Svea has a background in English linguistics, media studies and science communication as well as research. She has been involved in multiple international advocacy efforts as well as national initiatives in Germany and she combines her expertise in health communications with her experience of living with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and her advocacy work.
Jean Langford joined the team as Youth Coordinator. Jean is currently undertaking a masters in clinical dietetics in Edinburgh, and holds a degree in International Business Studies from the University of Limerick. She has gained experience in advocacy communications having been a patient advocate over the last three years in Ireland with Midwest Diabetes as a person living with T1D.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Maartje Roskams, former Project and Youth coordinator, who left our team in July to pursue other professional opportunities. We are all thankful for her commitment and precious contribution to the work of IDF Europe and the diabetes community, and we wish her the best of luck!
NEWS FROM EUROPE
WHO Europe launches regional action plan on digital health
The 72nd session of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe (RC72) took place on 12–14 September 2022 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Health ministers and high-level delegates of the 53 Member States of the WHO European Region as well as representatives of civil society organisations gathered to discuss public health challenges and ongoing health emergencies.
One of the main agenda items was the Regional Digital Health Action Plan for the WHO European Region 2023–2030. The action plain intends to “support countries in leveraging and scaling up digital transformation for better health and in aligning digital technology investment decisions with their health system needs, while fully respecting the values of equity, solidarity and human rights.”
IDF Europe strongly welcomes the Regional Digital Health Action Plan for the WHO European Region 2023-2030. We are convinced that adopting digital health has become imperative to ensuring the transition towards more resilient healthcare systems and lowering the risk of people developing diabetes and other non-communicable diseases as well as ensuring more efficient treatment and management of chronic conditions.
Read more here
EU Health Policy Platform Stakeholder Network: Profiling and Training the Healthcare Workforce of the Future’
Health First Europe (HFE) and European Health Management Association (EHMA) have recently launched the Report of the EU Health Policy Platform Stakeholder Network on ‘Profiling and Training the Healthcare Workforce of the Future’ on essential skills for a resilient and effective European health workforce.
The report aims at raising awareness among policy makers at European, national, regional and local level of the existing and foreseeable skills gaps of the European health workforce.
Among the key skill areas identified by the Stakeholder Network, digital skills, communication skills, and interdisciplinary and coordination skills, are particularly important in the context of diabetes care:
Digital health has the potential to revolutionise diabetes care and the quality of life of PwD and inevitably requires the integration of digital competences into healthcare professionals' (HCP) education and training programmes.
According to the work of IDF Europe's Platform of People living with T2D, good communication skills are also seen as a crucial component of the HCP-PwD relationship in leading to better health outcomes, quality of life and resilient health systems (read more here).
Finally, interdisciplinary and coordination skills can foster the integration of care across all healthcare sectors and the development of multidisciplinary teams that are needed for a multi-faceted and complex condition such as diabetes.
IDF EUROPE ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION WORK
Global Week for Action on NCDs
NCDs represent a major threat to the sustainability of European health systems. They account for 80% of the disease burden in EU member states and yet only 3% of the respective national health budgets are allocated to their prevention, and health promotion more generally. Diabetes is one of the four major NCDs worldwide and the incidence is constantly rising, the overall NCD burden is expected to increase by 17% by 2025.
During the Global Week for Action on NCDs (5-11 September), IDF Europe called on policy and health decision makers for more investment to strengthen primary and community care. This would help improve the effectiveness of primary prevention including earlier screening and diagnosis. We also called on national health systems to move towards more integrated, person-centred care models for improved diabetes management and secondary prevention and reduced health outcomes inequalities.
To mark the week, the World Health Organization launched a short-film series focusing on the lived experience of different people living with NCDs worldwide. Among others, the series featured Ali from Lebanon living with T2D as well as Mark from Brazil living with T1D.
Watch the short-films here
European Sustainable Development Week 2022: Achieving Targets 3.4 and 3.8
The European Sustainable Development Week (ESDW) is a European-wide initiative to encourage and make visible projects, initiatives and events that promote sustainable development. This year there were almost 6000 events registered in 25 countries across Europe that raised awareness of one of the 17 United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The 2030 agenda for sustainable development includes two main relevant targets for the diabetes community in Europe and worldwide:
- Target 3.4: Reduce by one-third premature mortality from NCDs through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
Target 3.8: Achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC), including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
IDF Europe supports the priorities of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and is committed to engaging in projects, programmes and activities that will contribute to flattening the diabetes curve, improving health outcomes and quality of life of PwD and reducing costs and inequalities for all Europeans.
Read more here
European Week of Sports
The European Week of Sports (23-30 September) is a Europe-wide initiative to promote more active and healthier lifestyles. As part of this campaign, IDF Europe created infographics on the benefits of physical activity for PwD and WHO’s general recommendations.
The European Week of Sports was also an opportunity to join hands with the Sports and Diabetes EU project to highlight the barrier to engaging in sports for children and young people living with diabetes. Through the collaborative social media posts, we also announced the project´s final publications which will be made available shortly. The publications consist of a handbook for coaches and parents on how to practice sports safely and a comic book for the young PwD on what they need to know about diabetes and sports.
Use Heart for Every Heart – Improving access to diabetes care, medicines, technologies and education to prevent CVD
On World Heart Day, IDF Europe joined the campaign of the World Heart Federation (WHF) inviting everyone to stop and consider how best to use heart for humanity, for nature and for you. “Beating cardiovascular disease is something that matters to every beating heart” (WHF).
Cardiovascular disease is the name given to a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels that include hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease. They are the number one cause of death globally. Diabetes is a key risk factor for CVD, with PwD being two to three times more likely to develop CVD than people who do not.
Risk factors that can increase the chances of developing CVD are multiple and include associated conditions, metabolic risk factors, behavioural risk factors, modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors. Prevention strategies and access to diabetes care, education, medicines and technology can play a crucial role in lowering the risk for PwD of developing CVD and other diabetes-related complications.
Read more here
New global Type 1 Diabetes Index highlights the unmet need of people living with type 1 diabetes
The new global Type 1 Diabetes Index (T1D Index), a first-of-its-kind data simulation tool that measures the human and public health impact of T1D in every country across the globe, was released on September 21, as a result of a collaboration between the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), Life for a Child, International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), and Beyond Type 1.
T1D has a profound human, emotional and financial burden for people who live with it and prevalence is on the rise. The T1D Index uniquely illuminates the human burden of the condition by highlighting “missing people,” the number of people who would still be alive today if they had not died early due to complications from T1D, and “healthy years lost,” the time lost to ill-health, disability or early death from living with T1D.
Simulations from the T1D Index suggest that in Europe and Central Asia, in 2022, there are 746,330 “missing people” and an average of 24.4 “healthy years lost” to T1D per person, if diagnosed at age 10.
Leveraging data and insights from tools such as the T1D Index is crucial to improve knowledge exchange, benchmarks and to identify attainable country-by-country interventions that can improve health outcomes and quality of life for PwD.
Read more here
EU-FUNDED PROJECTS
DigiCare4You: screening process interview for Bulgaria
DigiCare4You is a Horizon2020 project which aims to improve the early prevention and management of T2D and hypertension (HTN) via a community-based, person-centred solution, integrating both social and healthcare systems, supported by the use of digital tools.
The DigiCare4You solution consists of two core components. Firstly, a two-stage screening procedure to identify families living with pre-diabetes, T2D and/or HTN will be conducted at schools and local health centres in the four implementation countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Spain). The screening procedures have been slightly adapted for each country according to the local healthcare and educational norms. This will be followed by the enrolment of those families identified as living with the conditions or at risk of developing them in an mHealth self-management intervention.
Learn more about the specificities of the two-stage screening process in Bulgaria through the interview conducted with Dr Natalya Usheva from the Medical University of Varna here.
DigiCare4You develops a social collaboration platform
DigiCare4You´s consortium partner, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), developed a social collaboration platform (SCP) for the community-based intervention aspect of DigiCare4You. The platform’s main goal is the creation of a social and physical environment that will provide documented, reliable and useful information concerning T2D and HTN prevention as well as practical tips and guidelines on healthy and active living for all age groups. The platform will also enable families in the participating countries to communicate, exchange information, and create, share and participate in social events related to the prevention and management of T2D and HTN.
Read more here
RECOGNISED: general assembly in Barcelona
RECOGNISED is a four-year Horizon 2020 research project, bringing together 21 different partners from nine countries. It seeks to determine whether events taking place in the retina in people living with T2D can be used as a marker of changes occurring in the brain signaling cognitive impairment and dementia. This will be determined through experimental and clinical studies during the four years.
After two long years without face-to-face meetings, the RECOGNISED consortium of 21 partners across nine countries gathered at the Vall d’Hebron General Hospital in Barcelona on September 12, and online, for the annual general assembly co-chaired by Prof. Rafael Simo from Vall d´Hebron University Hospital and Prof. Noemi Lois from Queen´s University Belfast. This was an opportunity for every work package leader to provide an update on the recent project developments and to discuss future steps. The pre-clinical research is advancing well and generating extensive data for analysis. Despite the delays due to COVID-19, the 11 recruiting centres from eight countries also successfully recruited participants for the study and even over recruited for the longitudinal study with more than 250 participants, compared to the original target of 231 participants.
Read more about the project here
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