Dear colleagues, dear friends,
As 2023 comes to an end, we would like to wish you a happy and healthy holiday season.
A year after a momentous Resolution on Diabetes was adopted by a vast majority of MEPs and during which we continued advocating for the rights of people living with diabetes (PwD) and those at risk, we held a High-Level Technical Summit in Belgrade, Serbia on Nov 28-29, in collaboration with WHO Europe. Building on the Resolution, the Summit represented a pivotal moment for our community and served as an essential reminder to governments and other stakeholders across Europe of the urgent need to accelerate action on political commitments to improve diabetes detection and quality of care. The Declaration signed by IDF Europe and WHO Europe is a groundbreaking milestone. As we step into the new year, we will continue to build on the momentum of the Declaration and we will support our Members to do the same at the national level.
Against the backdrop of the upcoming EU Parliamentary elections in June, we will further emphasise to existing and candidate MEPs as well as other European decision-makers the need for urgent action.
Having witnessed the incredible energy and inspiring commitment of our community throughout the year, and especially during the Summit, we are looking forward to continuing to collaborate with all diabetes stakeholders to keep diabetes high on the political agenda. Our collective goal will remain to elevate the voice of PwD and reduce existing inequalities within and between countries, to ensure that all PwD can lead long and fulfilling lives and that no-one is left behind.
A focal point of our activities will be to encourage as many individuals and organisations to be part of a powerful and united diabetes voice and show their support by endorsing the declaration.
Together, United, Let's Act on Diabetes!
IDF EUROPE YOUTH PLATFORM
Apply to host the IDF Europe Youth Leadership Lab in 2024
Would you like to play a key role in uniting and strengthening the voices of youth diabetes advocates across Europe? Apply to host the IDF Europe Youth Leadership Lab in 2024!
In 2011, IDF Europe launched the Youth Leadership Camp (YLC), an initiative aimed at nurturing a new generation of youth advocates and creating a strong pan-European network. Each year since, a group of around 24 youth advocates aged 18-30 from IDF Europe’s member associations are invited to participate in the Youth Leadership Camp.
Combining sports activities and interactive workshops, the YLC is an opportunity for Young Advocates to learn about different advocacy, policy and communications techniques, find out about the differences in diabetes care and daily-life realities across Europe, share their strategies on how to cope with diabetes and learn from their day-to-day triumphs and challenges.
IDF Europe wishes to continue to work closely with member associations on this project in 2024 and build on the momentum created in past editions. The YLC will take place the week of July 7-13, 2024 (arrival on the Sunday).
If your member association wishes to apply to host the next YLC, please follow the link below. The deadline to apply is February 12, 2023.
MEMBER NEWS
IDF Europe Communications Toolkit for Member Associations
IDF Europe released a Toolkit for its Member Associations which aims to provide background information on the Resolution on Diabetes adopted last year by the European Parliament, the Declaration co-signed by IDF Europe and WHO Europe at the High-Level Technical Summit on Diabetes last November, and the Pledge on Diabetes developed with other EUDF Forum Members. The Toolkit suggests ways of leveraging these documents for policy action at national level and it includes:
An overview of the scope and the content of the Resolution/Declaration/Pledge
IDF Europe’s call to action throughout 2024
A timeline of key initiatives from November 2023 to June 2024
Strategies to get involved and support IDF Europe’s Campaign around the Declaration
Strategies to embed the Resolution/Declaration/Pledge in national advocacy
A set of resources and key messages to support advocacy and communications activities
A set of suggested social media strategies and posts to raise awareness of diabetes and promote the calls made in the Resolution/Declaration/Pledge
Template letters for reaching out to national diabetes stakeholders and policymakers
National diabetes associations play a key role in driving change by raising awareness of diabetes and holding national, regional and local governments to account for their commitments on diabetes. The Resolution, Declaration and Pledge can only be impactful if governments are aware of their recommendations and calls to action. Achieving real impact requires the diabetes community to work together across all political levels. We trust that the Toolkit will help coordinate our efforts and those of our members to achieve positive impact across the entire Europe Region.
To request the Toolkit, please contact sabine.dupont@idf-europe.org and martina.boccardo@idf-europe.org.
IDF EUROPE NEWS, ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS
IDF Europe at the Tallinn Charter 15th Anniversary Health Systems Conference: trust and transformation – resilient and sustainable health systems for future
On December 12-13, WHO Europe and the Ministry of Social Affairs of Estonia, along with the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, hosted the “Trust and transformation: resilient and sustainable health systems for the future” conference, commemorating 15 years of the Tallinn Charter.
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and changing geopolitical and social landscapes, the conference addressed the challenges faced by healthcare systems, emphasising the need for trust and transformation, with a focus on the role of people in this process.
IDF Europe Regional Manager, Elisabeth Dupont, took part in a panel discussion under the theme “Transforming diabetes care”, which highlighted the importance of engaging people with lived experience right from the start and across the full process, in co-creating the transformation of diabetes care. This principle is at the core of the Declaration signed by IDF Europe and WHO Europe during the High-Level Technical Summit on Diabetes last month.
IDF Europe Country Profiles: Kyrgyzstan
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 Kyrgyzstan!
Click here or on the image to read the factsheets and learn more about diabetes care in Kyrgyzstan.
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.
IDF EUROPE ADVOCACY AND COMMUNICATION WORK
Universal Health Coverage Day 2023
On December 12, we celebrated Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day and raised awareness of the challenges faced by our healthcare systems in addressing the care gap for Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, from inefficient resource allocation to disparities in access and the lack of personalised care.
To achieve UHC and bridge the NCD care gap, we must strengthen healthcare systems and improve access to services, medicines and technologies.
In line with this year’s theme “Health for ALL: Time for ACTION!”, we urged governments, international agencies, European institutions and the private sector to prioritise diabetes and NCD prevention and care to achieve UHC.
NEWS FROM EUROPE
New WHO tools to support action on NCDs and climate change
At the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28), WHO Europe presented initial findings from the report of an expert meeting on NCDs and climate change which explores multisectoral actions and priorities to effectively tackle major health and environmental concerns.
Recognising the significant impact of food systems on both health and the environment, the report explores various policies to improve diets, build capacity to protect health during climate change-related emergencies and stimulate investments in transport planning that increase physical activity while reducing travel by private motor vehicles.
The report also refers to the Diet Impact Assessment (DIA), a tool launched by WHO Europe in November 2023 which can be used by countries to analyse the health, environmental and affordability implications of diets and dietary change.
Adoption of the SANT/ENVI Report on Non-Communicable Diseases
On November 13, during the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs adopted the own-initiative (INI) report on NCDs drafted by the new EU Parliament Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT), with 578 votes in favour, 39 against and 15 abstentions.
The report highlights the urgency to address NCDs such as diabetes. It calls on policymakers to take more ambitious and decisive action to reduce NCD premature mortality, improve early diagnosis, foster patient engagement, invest in research and innovation and enhance people's quality of life.
IDF Europe contributed to the development of the draft report by sharing proposed amendments with several MEPs. Many of these were partly or fully incorporated in the final report.
We were pleased to see an overwhelming majority voting in favour of the report which represents a step towards building effective policies to reverse the growing number of people living with NCDs and improve both people’s quality of life and healthcare systems’ resilience.
State of Health in the EU – 2023 Country Health Profiles and Synthesis Report
On December 15, the European Commission published the latest edition of the Country Health Profiles (CHP) and Synthesis Report developed by experts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (Observatory).
Each of the 29 CHP provides an overview of the health status in the country, the determinants of health, the organisation of the healthcare system and an analysis of each healthcare system’s effectiveness, accessibility and resilience.
The synthesis report highlights three main messages:
Mental health reforms addressing de-stigmatisation, prevention, treatment and reintegration are needed.
Closing health gaps by tackling health inequalities across and within countries requires a multi-sectoral approach.
Investments towards resilient and accessible health systems need continuity, underpinned by robust data collection mechanisms.
Understanding healthcare systems’ organisation as well as challenges and developments at country level is essential to reduce the many inequalities that still exist within and between European countries and leave no-one behind. At the beginning of 2024, IDF Europe will also publish a compendium of country profiles illustrating the status of diabetes care across Europe, which will be key to identify best practices and highlight areas where access to diabetes care can be improved.
EU-FUNDED PROJECTS
2023 Trials@Home Annual Meeting Report
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.
The fourth Trials@Home Annual Meeting was hosted by UCB, one of the consortium partners, in Brussels, on October 24-25. The Patient Expert Panel, which IDF Europe coordinates, played a key role in the meeting and held a working session to discuss the newly established Layman Language Working Group which will work on translating existing project outputs that are of immediate interest to people with lived experience into layman language. The group’s mission is to simplify complex scientific publications to make them accessible to the general public.
Get involved in Trials@Home!
Join the RADIAL study as a trial participant!
If you are living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on long-acting insulin, in one of the countries where the trial has already started – Denmark, Germany, Italy, Poland and the UK – or will start soon (Spain) and are interested in helping with the RADIAL proof-of-concept, you can learn more here.
Share your views on clinical trials!
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.
IDF Europe is also on LinkedIn and Instagram!
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