CAPTION: “Data on diabetes and pre-diabetes is often lacking and we are working to fill this gap,” EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides
Last month, the European Parliament adopted a motion for resolution on the prevention, management and better care of diabetes in the EU, marking World Diabetes Day 2022.
32 million adults are living with diabetes in the EU and numbers are predicted to reach 35 million by 2030.
One hundred years on from the discovery of insulin, the resolution called on the European Commission and the 27 Member States to demonstrate political commitment and set ambitious targets in order to “reduce inequalities between EU citizens and improve the care and quality of life of people living with diabetes”.
While there is no cure for diabetes, experts emphasise the importance of ensuring effective, accessible and uninterrupted treatments to reduce the risk of developing complications.
The resolution calls on Member States to develop, implement and monitor national diabetes plans and strategies with comparable milestones and targets, in recognition of inequalities in public health strategies and care as well as access to healthy and sustainable food across member states.
It also emphasises the importance of upskilling care and investing in research.
The authors of the resolution also emphasised the importance of data collection standardisation, and the Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has said the EU is working on this.
The EU Parliament’s diabetes champions, MEPs Sara Cerdas, Romana Jerkovic, Katerina Konecná, Marisa Matias, Tilly Metz, Sirpa Pietikäinen, Frédérique Ries, Christel Schaldemose, Tomislav Sokol, and István Ujhelyi are calling on all MEPs to help people living with diabetes in Europe in order that they can lead long, healthy and fulfilling lives.
Advocacy Action: You can read the resolution and perhaps adapt it to your circumstances here.:
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2022-0492_EN.html