Congratulations Thapi

PDGN’s Digital Leader Thapi Semenya has become a member of the ForbesBLK community. The mission of ForbesBLK is to champion a global community of Black entrepreneurs, professionals, leaders and creators that are driving systematic change in business, culture and society. Thapi says: “I am one person who believes in the power of collaboration and breaking […]

WHO Compact Presentation

The Global Diabetes Compact Forum (the Forum) was created by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to share and disseminate ideas, information and views that help advocate for the Compact, namely: a world where the risk of diabetes is reduced and where all people who are diagnosed with diabetes have  access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable and […]

IDF KiDS Programme

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) ‘Kids and Diabetes (KiDS) in Schools’ programme wants to highlight success stories from organisations that have implemented diabetes education activities in schools. The IDF KiDS programme aims to bring diabetes education to schools to fight diabetes-related stigma and promote healthy lifestyles for type 2 diabetes prevention. You can share your […]

Major Victory for DLC on Behalf of Patients

In a major victory for patients who depend on prescription drugs, Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia struck down a Trump administration federal rule that allowed health insurers to not count drug manufacturer copay assistance towards a beneficiary’s out-of-pocket costs. The case was brought against the U.S. […]

Diabetes UK – New Chief Executive

Diabetes UK has appointed Colette Marshall as its new head following the departure of Chris Askew after eight years to take on the role of Chief Executive at the Royal College of General Practitioners. Ms Marshall, pictured right, has been Director of Services, Volunteering and Local Impact at Diabetes UK since 2013. Following her appointment […]

Tech News

Dexcom has announced that its next-generation real-time continuous glucose monitoring system, DexCom G7, is now available in Canada, for people with any type of diabetes, aged two years and older, including those who are pregnant. https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_74cb3d38-d30a-4cc6-a8d9-23bb9655ca4d Can an artificial intelligence test diagnose type 2 diabetes from a 6 second voice clip? A Canadian team claim […]

Research Corner

An Indian study has suggested that diabetes is linked to bone health, particularly among older people. https://www.indiatoday.in/health/story/diabetes-major-threat-to-bone-health-reveals-new-study-2454373-2023-10-27 Scientists in Sweden have developed eye implants using insulin-producing cells that could treat diabetes. https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/miracle-cure-scientists-develop-eye-implants-using-insulin-producing-cells-that-could-treat-diabetes-13294092.html In Germany, Insulet has announced a full market release of Omnipod 5 – an automated insulin delivery system. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230828947492/en/Insulet-Announces-Full-Market-Release-of-Omnipod%C2%AE-5-Automated-Insulin-Delivery-System-in-Germany

Type 2 Diet Study

A low carbohydrate nutrition program delivered online has been shown to significantly improve blood sugar control in adults with T2D. The findings from the ‘T2Diet Study’ conducted at Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, are significant as they demonstrate web-based dietary education can support people with type 2 diabetes, alongside standard care, and provide options for people living […]

Is a Sugar Tax Enough?

In a comment piece in the Malaysian ‘Sun Daily’ newspaper, Singapore based technical writer Joachim Ng asks whether a sugar tax is enough. “The effectiveness of this higher tax on drinks in curbing sugar consumption depends on whether it is part of a comprehensive public prevention strategy that includes other regulatory measures.” You can read […]

Social Prescribing Gaining Ground

Social prescribing is an approach that connects people to activities, groups, and services in their community to meet the practical, social and emotional needs that affect their health and wellbeing, including healthy food. Following pilot schemes in the UK some U.S. health care providers have been experimenting with the idea. Under “food is medicine” programs, free, […]

Curbing Ultra-Processed Food

Health experts in Pakistan have called for policy measures, including increased taxes, to curb the use of ultra-processed food and sugary drinks, citing the example of Saudi Arabia which has subjected unhealthy foods to heavy excise duties. In 2019, Saudi Arabia expanded an excise tax charged on tobacco and soda to include electronic cigarettes and […]

Sugar Taxes Nigeria

The Nigerian federal government says it is committed to attain the global best practice of nearly 20 per cent taxation on the final retail price on all sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). With non-communicable diseases believed to be the leading cause of death in Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, evidence-based interventions are being recommended by […]

Drug Shortages in Bulgaria

The most sought-after and missing drugs in the Bulgarian pharmacy network are those related to diabetes, which forced the authorities in Sofia to tighten control by introducing a mandatory electronic prescription from a doctor. The aim is to reduce the off-label use of diabetes drugs, which in the last few years have been increasingly popular as weight loss remedies. […]

Surge in T2D in Rural India

Rural India is grappling with a surge in type 2 diabetes (T2D) that signals a significant shift in lifestyles and dietary habits among the population. The rise of T2D reflects the transition from traditional, physically active lifestyles to more sedentary ones, often accompanied by diets high in processed foods, unhealthy fats, and refined sugars. Data […]

Collaboration Brings Success

US Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) joined a Washington Post Live event to discuss the high cost of prescription medication in the United States. In their discussion, the Senators discussed their cross-party (bipartisan) efforts to pass comprehensive Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBM) reform, lower the cost of insulin, including their Insulin Act, and why […]

Collaboration Brings Success

Diabetes Australia has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Health and Aged Care, Hon Mark Butler MP, that Fiasp insulin will continue to be available on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), a government scheme that subsidises the cost of medicines. Minister Butler has announced the new listing of Fiasp Penfill which contains the same insulin […]

Diabetes in Schools

A 6 million Australian Dollar (US 3.8m) diabetes in Schools program is hoped to help reduce the impact of type1 diabetes (T1D) for students, parents and schools. The programme should ensure that principals, teachers and school staff have the support, training and tools they need to support students with T1 diabetes at school. “A recent […]

Nigeria Unveils National Eye Health Plan

The Federal Government of Nigeria has unveiled a National Eye Health Strategic Development Plan including a Diabetic Retinopathy screening and management guideline together with Glaucoma Guidelines and Toolkit which are policy documents aimed at improving vision and eye health in the country. Around 24 million Nigerians are living with treatable sight loss caused by untreated […]

Taming the Wild West

The digital health world is often considered “the wild West” given the number of options and the difficulties that payers, providers, and patients have identifying high quality options. To solve this issue, the American Diabetes Association teamed up with NCQA to engage thought leaders to identify criteria that could be used to ultimately certify the […]

Could ‘Zoo Poo’ Help Treat Foot Ulcers?

Researchers from the University of Sheffield, UK, have found that viruses found in the poo of endangered animals could be used to treat diabetic foot ulcers. If successful it could save the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) £1 billion a year. Naturally occurring viruses in the poo – known as bacteriophage or phages – could […]

T1 Screening Reaches N.Ireland

Funded by Diabetes UK and JDRF, ELSA (Early Surveillance for Autoimmune diabetes)  was first launched in England, Scotland and Wales in November 2022. The study aims to recruit 20,000 children, aged 3-13 years, to assess their risk of developing T1D through at-home finger-prick blood tests. Home testing kits are now available to families throughout Northern Ireland. Around […]

Draft Bill Published

A Draft Bill on Health Insurance Scheme is being debated by the Ugandan Parliament. It stipulates that all Ugandans aged 18 and above will have to enrol and pay premium to the proposed national health Insurance Scheme. For those below 18 and are dependents, their parents or guardians will have to pay for them. Premium for […]

Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes Risk

A study published in the journal Preventive Medicine, found that Erectile Dysfunction (ED) patients have a 34 percent increased risk for prediabetes suggesting ED is linked to undiagnosed prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in young men under age 40. Although ED is more common in older individuals with long-term type 2 diabetes, the researchers from […]

Sign the Pledge

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries’ (Efpia) and European Diabetes Forum (EUDF), have published a document calling on candidates at the 2024 European Election to sign and pledge to support its contents. Around 60 percent of all European citizens come under the European Union and will have a vote in the elections. With the exception […]

Pan American Ministers Agree NCD Policy

Ministers and health authorities in the ‘Region of the Americas’ have agreed to promote a series of interventions targeted at children, adolescents, and young adults aimed at preventing the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including diabetes – the leading causes of ill health, disability, and death in the Region. Agreement was reached at the 60th […]

Barbados Introduces Food Pack Warnings

Following a collaborative effort involving parliamentarians and several patient health groups, together with the Healthy Caribbean Coalition, Barbados has introduced front of food package warnings. The introduction of a Front-of-Package Warning Label System (FOPWLS) will have a significant positive impact on the non-communicable disease (NCD) crisis in Barbados, says Minister of Health, Senator The Most […]

Income Levels and Diabetes

Data has revealed a strong correlation between income levels and the incidence of diabetes in South Korea. A collaborative research group involving two universities and two hospitals in the country classified 7.82 million adults aged between 30 and 64, who did not have type 2 diabetes, according to their income levels in 2012. The group […]

One Size Does Not Fit All

A Chinese University of Hong Kong study, led by former Hong Kong health Minister, Professor Yeoh Eng-Kiong, calls for different approaches to different groups to improve the health of ethnic minority groups, and the poor. The study found higher levels of obesity and related health problems among Hong Kong’s South Asian community and is calling […]

#DeDoc° Session

For scientific and research centred events to allow a patient voice to be heard is a welcome development. At ISPAD, #dedoc°, an international community by and for people with diabetes, held a session to get across what living with diabetes is really like. Patient advocates are keen to influence the research agenda to ensure its […]

Italy First to Introduce T1 Screening

The Italian Parliament has passed a law to make it possible, from 2024, to prevent the occurrence of the most dangerous complications, such as diabetic ketoacidosis, in Italian children between 1 and 17 years old, who are destined to develop type 1 diabetes. The law was celebrated at the October ISPAD annual conference in Rotterdam. […]

Optimizing Type 2 (T2D) Diabetes Care

The diaTribe Foundation, that was founded with a mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes and  prediabetes, and to advocate for action, held an event at EASD with a panel of Women Leaders in diabetes. The panel discussed strategies to address the growing number of people with type 2 diabetes and called for […]

Call to Action on Forgotten T1 Complications

The call came from Dr Peter Rossing, head of complications research at Steno Diabetes Center in Copenhagen. He claimed that type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) have largely been forgotten. While the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with diabetes has been transformed in recent years, studies have focused […]

Screening for T1

The latest data on  universal screening for type 1 diabetes (T1D) was reviewed in a session at this year’s annual meeting of EASD in Hamburg, Germany (2-6 October). Dr Emily K. Sims, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Indiana University School of Medicine, USA, reported on research by various groups that […]

Right to Health and Food

A United Nations report on tackling inequities in food, nutrition and health outcomes, recommends a rights-based approach. The report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health, Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, concluded that “The intersection of the right to health and right to food is central to achieving substantive equality and realising sustainable development, […]