COVID-19 MIGHT BE BEHIND US; THE NEED FOR MORE RESILIENT HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS IS NOT!
Two years after the disease’s outbreak, COVID-19's direct impact on healthcare systems and the economy seems to be receding. Whether this will last remains to be seen, as we are starting to witness renewed increases in the number of COVID-19 cases. Many of the gaps in the provision of high-quality care brought to the fore by COVID-19 have yet to be addressed fully, though. The 61 million people living with diabetes (PwD) in Europe have been greatly affected by this pandemic and many still lack access to adequate prevention, care and treatment. Several studies also suggest not only that the disruption to care during the pandemic is creating potential problems for the long-term (such as an increase in diabetes-related complications), but also that people who have had even mild cases of COVID-19 are more susceptible than the rest of the population to developing diabetes in the year that follows their contracting the disease.
More than ever, now is the time to capitalise on the public focus on healthcare resulting from the crisis to ensure the creation of resilient and person-centred healthcare systems. While health is not an EU competence, EU-wide health policies have a critical role to play in this regard, and COVID-19 must be used as a catalyst for change. Healthier Together represents a strong signal by the European Commission and Member States of their acknowledgment of the urgent need for more impactful action on diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
We urge national governments and other stakeholders to build on the consensus report presented by the Commission on June 22 and avail themselves of the opportunities outlined by the Commission to implement actions and initiatives that can make a real difference to PwD’s lives. We also call on the Commission to go further in its commitment to tackling diabetes and other NCDs by developing a more exhaustive plan on diabetes and other NCDs, complementing and building on the learnings from the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan.
IDF EUROPE YOUTH PLATFORM
IDF Europe Youth Leadership Lab 2022
YLL opening session
The opening session of the Youth Leadership Lab 2022 took place on May 31.
For this edition, IDF Europe is adopting a hybrid approach reflecting the success of previous Youth Leadership Camps and the online-based Youth Leadership Labs organised during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's programme consists of two online sessions in June, followed by an on-site Youth Leadership Camp in Krotoszyce, Poland, from 10 to 16 July 2022.
During the opening session, participants introduced themselves and shared their hopes and expectations for the programme as well as their motivation to be part of a community of young advocates.
We wish to thank IDF Europe Chair, Dr. Niti Pall, who, together with our partners Maurizio Guidi, External Engagement Leader at Eli Lilly, Anne-Marie Felton from the Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND), Gonzalo Lago, Media Lead at Medtronic and Anna Śliwińska, President of the Polish Diabetes Association hosting the camp, wished the participants a good journey on their road to becoming active advocates and the diabetes leaders of tomorrow.
YLL online workshop
On June 25, participants in the YLL 2022 took part in an online workshop designed to give the group an opportunity to develop their presentation skills.
After being introduced to the theme of this year's YLL, "Diabetes and Humanitarian Emergencies", participants were divided into smaller groups where each member created a presentation based on one of the following themes: COVID-19 and Diabetes; Diabetes and Climate Change; and Diabetes in Conflict Settings. Each topic had supporting articles which the participants could choose to use as the basis of their presentations. They could also choose to draw on their own experiences on the subject matter. Many opted to powerfully draw on their own experiences and use the articles to back up their opinions.
Each group presented their slides to one another, in a supportive atmosphere where they were able to share their learning and opinions freely and confidently. The workshop rounded off with a plenary session where all participants regrouped to present their slides and unique interpretations of their chosen briefs to the meeting.
Read more here
We look forward to seeing our participants again and sharing this wonderful new experience with them!
UKRAINE NEWS
Diabetes and war: updates from the Ukrainian Diabetes Federation
Over four months since the start of the war in Ukraine, PwD continue to face dire challenges. Diabetes organisations in Ukraine and beyond are playing a critical role during this humanitarian emergency to help the eight million displaced Ukrainians who have moved to the western regions of Ukraine and the five millions who have fled the country. The help provided includes the provision of medical supplies, care and general help and support.
Valentina Ocheretenko, from the Ukranian Diabetes Federation, described the current challenges of the Ukrainian diabetes community and the key role of diabetes organisations.
Read the full story here
Support for people living with diabetes affected by the war in Ukraine
IDF Europe is extremely concerned for PwD in Ukraine and those displaced as a consequence of the unprovoked war who, over four months after the start of the conflict, keep facing increasing challenges due to the shortage of diabetes medicines and supplies, the disruption of diabetes care and management, and the psychological impact of the war.
Since the beginning of the conflict, as well as calling for an immediate end to it, we have 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.
Centralising information is key to helping people access it easily. To facilitate this, IDF Europe has developed the platform "Connect Solidarity", which 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,
click on the button below:
MEMBER NEWS
23rd edition of the “Dia Exhibition” organised by the Slovakian diabetes association Diador
On June 11, the volunteer-led Slovakian association of young adults living with diabetes, Diador, held the 23rd edition of the “Dia Exhibition” in Bratislava, an event that is organised yearly by the association.
The annual event consists in the exhibition of new food products and devices for the management of diabetes and is attended by people living with diabetes from all across Slovakia.
The “Dia Exhibition” is part of a long-standing tradition of activities organised by volunteers at Diador to expand and strengthen the community of young people living with diabetes, to facilitate education for PwD and the general public, and to increase awareness of diabetes.
In addition to the “Dia Exhibition”, the association organises educational lectures on topics related to diaebetes, summer and winter camps for children and young adults living with diabetes, and cultural events.
Read more here
5th APDP/NJA Expedition for Type 1 Diabetes
From June 10 to June 13, the Portuguese Diabetes Association (APDP) and the association’s youth group (NJA), held the 5th APDP/NJA Expedition for Type 1 Diabetes, a three-day hike to the National Portuguese Park. Fourteen young people living with Type 1 Diabetes, three healthcare professionals, three guides, and a photographer participated in the expedition which consisted of five trails of medium-high difficulty.
The main goals of this initiative are to highlight the importance of physical activity as part of the daily management and treatment of diabetes, to promote healthy lifestyles, and most importantly, to help young people living with diabetes understand how to manage their blood glucose levels when undertaking intense physical activity.
IDF EUROPE NEWS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
IDF Europe Centenary of Insulin campaign
The country profile for Romania is 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 Romania’s country profile!
Click here or on the image to read our factsheet and learn more about diabetes care in Romania.
Watch the video testimonials from Prof. Dr. Gabriela Roman, President of the Federatia Romana de Diabet Nutritie si Boli Metabolice, and Andrei Stroilă, a diabetes advocate, to learn more about the way diabetes care is delivered in the country and the importance of diabetes education and peer support for managing diabetes.
Click here to read the country profiles for Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Portugal, 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 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 will hold 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.
The symposium will include a presentation of the work conducted by IDF Europe’s platform of PwD on the HCP-PwD interaction, and panel discussions on the approaches contributing to improve the quality of the interaction between PwD and HCPs.
Learn more about the programme and how to register here
IDF Europe webinar:
“Delivering Value through Innovation in Diabetes Care Delivery”
On June 16, IDF Europe held a webinar to launch its new publication on "Delivering Value through Innovation in Diabetes Care Delivery".
The aim of our new publication is to highlight key innovative developments and novel approaches in healthcare design, delivery and financing that, together with technology-led innovation, have the potential to address the key barriers to the delivery of high-quality diabetes care and the huge burden to PwD associated with fragmented care.
During the launch webinar, after an introduction by IDF Europe’s co-chair, Prof. Nebojsa Lalic, on the current challenges of diabetes care in Europe and the priorities of the diabetes community, our guest panellists shared their experiences and insights on how innovation is enabling a transformation in the delivery of diabetes care.
Watch the recording of the webinar:
We would like to thank all the speakers who contributed to the event:
Samuel Chevalier, Diabetes Program Director, Air Liquide Healthcare, France
Mark Duman, clinician, management consultant and patient advocate
Sabine Dupont, IDF Europe, Senior Policy Consultant
Elena Frattolin, Vice-President Diabete Forum, Italy
Sufyan Hussain, Consultant Physician in Diabetes & Endocrinology, Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, UK
Partha Kar, National Specialty Advisor, Diabetes GIRFT, NHS England, UK
Nebojsa Lalic, IDF Europe, co-chair
Joao Raposo, Medical Director, Associação Protectora dos Diabéticos de Portugal (APDP), Portugal
Tim-Morris Schmidt, Advisor for European Affairs to the Director General for Health at Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, France
We are looking for a new Junior Communications Officer!
IDF Europe is looking for a new Junior Communications Officer to join the team. The job holder will support the development and management of IDF Europe's internal and external communication activities.
Interested and qualified candidates should send a curriculum vitae and a cover letter to describe interest and relevance to the position to idfeurope@idf-europe.org.
The successful applicant is expected to start as soon as possible.
Find more information about the position here
NEWS FROM EUROPE
WHO Member States support global diabetes targets and action plan for prevention of NCDs during the 75th World Health Assembly
The 75th World Health Assembly (WHA) was held on May 22-28 in Geneva, Switzerland. The theme of this year’s WHA was ‘Health for peace, peace for health’. The event brought together delegations from all WHO Member States, health experts and civil society representatives.
One of WHA’s key discussion points centred on the follow up to the political declaration of the Third High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs. Specific sub-items included the draft implementation roadmap 2023–2030 for the global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2030 and draft recommendations to strengthen and monitor diabetes responses within national noncommunicable disease programmes, including potential targets.
For the first time ever, the WHO Member States have supported the creation of global targets for diabetes, as part of recommendations to strengthen and monitor diabetes responses within national NCD programmes.
Read more here
IDF EUROPE ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION WORK
IDF Europe welcomes the publication of the Healthier Together – EU NCD Initiative, a toolkit to help Member States reduce the burden of diabetes and other Non-communicable Diseases
Ambitious policies supporting the development of health-enabling environments, tackling social and health inequalities and promoting early action are urgently needed to better prevent, detect and treat diabetes and ultimately, improve people’s quality of life and health outcomes.
As mentioned by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides in her opening remarks, diabetes, CVD, chronic respiratory disease, mental health and neurological disorders are interconnected. “It, therefore, makes sense to have a comprehensive initiative looking at the drivers that lead to disease, and the levers we can use to reduce their impact.”
We welcome the Initiative's recommendations on:
Implementing national diabetes plans that include interventions for high-risk populations as well as targeted community-based strategies;
Reducing undiagnosed diabetes by raising awareness, screening high-risk individuals and using early detection approaches;
Ensuring (access to) high-quality diabetes care, and supporting PwD’s empowerment and self-management;
Adopting user-generated, real-world data in diabetes registries and/or diabetes information systems;
Implementing innovative care models that adopt a proactive (prevention oriented) person-centred, integrated care approach, and implement Patient-Reported Outcome and Experience Measures (PROMs, PREMs).
In designing future-proof, resilient healthcare models, we urge policy-makers to acknowledge the complexity of the disease, the impact of social inequalities and the psychological burden of a life-long condition that requires round-the-clock management.
We also call on the Commission to take on a bolder leadership on the topic of NCDs, and to go beyond its current action and towards a broader framework, driven by key performance indicators and an implementation roadmap.
Read more here
EU Green Week – building a healthier and more environmentally friendly future
The EU Green Week gathered policymakers, leading environmentalists and stakeholders from Europe and beyond to debate European environmental policy. This year's edition focused on the European Green Deal, and specifically the three key pillars of circular economy, zero pollution and biodiversity.
IDF Europe showed its commitment to supporting an environmentally friendly transition for better health for everyone and highlighted the relationship between environmental factors such as pollution and the increased risk of developing diabetes.
World Environment Day 2022
Each year, on June 5, the international community celebrates World Environment Day. The event is the largest global platform for environmental outreach, encouraging people to take action and protect the environment.
IDF Europe is a member of the Environment, Climate Change, Heritage and Health Committee at the Council of Europe. The Committee aims to develop an integrated approach between human rights, environment, heritage and health in the Bern, Florence, Faro and Aarhus Conventions. For example, the Aarhus Convention establishes a number of rights of the public (individuals and their associations) with regard to the environment.
At IDF Europe, we believe that every person has the right to live in an environment which supports good health and well-being and that we have the duty to protect and improve the environment for the benefit of present and future generations. On World Environment Day, we call on governments, private sector, civil society and citizens to protect environmental health to which human health and well-being are intimately linked.
Read more here
On World Food Safety Day IDF Europe calls for safe and healthy diets accessible for all
Systemic change for better health and safer food is key to addressing the immense burden of diabetes and NCDs in general, and represents critical enablers for long-term human development and, as such, a prerequisite for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
EU-FUNDED PROJECTS
DigiCare4You mHealth tools for the screening procedure
IDF Europe is part of the five-year DigiCare4You Horizon-2020 EU-funded 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. Much progress has been achieved over the past year and the four implementation countries are now starting or about to start screening families for pre-diabetes, T2D and HTN using schools as an entry point of this intervention via a digital screening tool created by the consortium.
DigiCare4You Consortium partner “Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)” developed a web platform to be used during the screening procedure. Healthcare professionals and participants from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece and Spain will use this digital platform to enter and view screening data, including information on demographics, lifestyle, medical status and anthropometric measurements.
Parents identified during the screening procedure as living with pre-diabetes or diabetes will then be invited to join the DigiCare4You mHealth self-management intervention, designed to promote healthy and active lifestyles for the entire family.
Access the DigiCare4You news item here for more information on the screening tool and follow the project on twitter @DigiCare4You
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