Don’t Forget World Diabetes Day: Mark Your Calendars for 14th November

14 November 2024 – World Diabetes Day (WDD), celebrated every year on November 14th, serves as a global platform to raise awareness about diabetes and advocate for improved health outcomes for those living with the condition. From 2024 to 2026, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has designated Diabetes and Well-being as the theme, reflecting the […]

IDF Congress 2025

Thailand has been chosen to host the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) World Diabetes Congress in 2025. The IDF World Diabetes Congress is one of the world’s largest conferences on diabetes. The event will take place in Bangkok in April, rather than the historic December time biennial date.

Diabetes Australia Before Parliament

In June, Diabetes Australia appeared before a public parliamentary committee of inquiry alongside the Australian Diabetes Society and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). The Australian Parliament’s Health Committee called for the inquiry into diabetes with a closing date for submissions at the end of August. The committee is currently considering the evidence and a […]

Hearing the Patient Voice

The Diabetes Leadership Council (DLC) in the US is holding an event where people with diabetes can log-in and speak to legislators. For legislators it is a great way to find out some of the challenges people with diabetes face and for sufferers to explain what it means to have diabetes and the difficulties they […]

Diabetes and Kidney Disease Briefing

A policy brief by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) offers information on the links between diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). It includes recommendations for effectively preventing, managing and treating diabetes and CKD. You can download and watch the webinar to use in advocacy activities.

Diabetes is Serious Campaign Launch

Chris Green (Conservative) – the MP for Bolton West and Atherton, attended the “Diabetes is Serious” campaign launch in the House of Commons, which included a report revealing how there were 7,000 excess deaths involving the condition last year. Mr Green (left) said: “I was delighted to attend a Diabetes UK Reception to raise awareness […]

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 […]

More PDGN News: Are You Busy Enough?

Benjamin Franklin once said: “if you want something done, ask a busy person.” Could you take on a role within the global network to help us to reach out and grow our membership and effectiveness in meeting the challenge of diabetes across the world? You will already be an advocate for the prevention, early diagnosis […]

South Africa Hosts Nutrition Congress

For the first time since the Covid pandemic disruptions, nutrition and dietetic health professionals from Africa and further afield gathered in person for the 2023 Nutrition Congress. Held in West Somerset, Western Cape, the 3-day event was co-hosted by NSSA (Nutrition Society of South Africa) and ADSA (Association for Dietetics in South Africa). At the […]

Chad Screening Programme

The Government of the Republic of Chad, a large landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa, launched a diabetes, blood pressure, obesity and kidney disease screening campaign in April. Four sites were chosen to screen all age groups free of charge. The Chadian Minister of Health, Dr Abdelmadjid Abderahim (pictured), officially launched […]

BDA Taking Action

Free health screenings, healthy food samples and water were on offer as part of a public open day hosted by the Bermuda Diabetes Association. The charity invited the public to an event marking World Diabetes Day on 14th November, to learn more about the services it provides. A spokeswoman for the Bermuda Diabetes Association said: […]

Encouraging Young Advocates

In September and October, the #dedoc° voices scholarship program enabled 50 diabetes advocates from across the globe to attend the EASD and ISPAD conferences, either virtually or on site. The program is designed to empower a new generation of advocates and to ensure that the voice of people living with diabetes is heard at scientific […]

More News From Around the World: EU Parliament Call for Diabetes

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 […]

Diabetes Australia wins Award

Diabetes Australia has won the Best Patient Campaign category at the 2022 Australian Patient Association Awards in Melbourne on August 18. The winning entry, “Heads Up on Diabetes,” was launched during National Diabetes Week in 2020. As previously reported at the launch it was a three-year campaign designed to highlight the daily mental health challenges […]

MP Raising Money for Diabetes

James Duddridge, UK MP for Rochford and Southend East, has announced he will run this year’s iconic 26.2-mile race on behalf of Diabetes UK. Each year, Duddridge runs the London Marathon for a different charity. He was was diagnosed with diabetes about five years ago. He takes insulin to manage the condition and monitors his blood glucose […]

More News from Around the World

Put People at Heart of Diabetes Services A briefing by the UK based National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has called for people to be put at the heart of diabetes services. The report brings together a collection of research from the past couple of years which illustrates how taking account of individuals’ needs, differences and wishes […]

Europe Chair

Following the recent general-election in Malta the re-elected Government is resisting calls from the opposition to reinstate a sub-committee of the parliament focussed on diabetes. PDGN European Chair, Claudette Buttigieg MP, was one the key influencers who campaigned for its creation in the last Parliament and re-elected, she has joined the fight to reinstate it. […]

State Advocacy Forums

The Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition has hosted 12 US state advocacy forums over the past year. These are virtual events designed to educate advocates on the structure of state government, provide an overview of key topics impacting people with diabetes and share tips on how to be an effective advocate. The 60-minute forums begin with […]

EU News

In May the European Parliament’s Mobilising for Diabetes (MMD) group held a joint event with the MEP Heart Group on ‘Supporting ambitious Diabetes and CVD Roadmaps in the context of the ‘Healthier Together – EU NCD Initiative’. Link below. https://www.mepinterestgroupdiabetes.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MMD-WEBINAR-REPORT_May-2.pdf Advocacy Action: Are there other health groups within your legislature whom you could work with […]

More News in Brief: Event Attracts Media Attention

A very successful event was held by Members of Parliament in the UK who invited constituents with diabetes to enter an art exhibition with entries displayed at the House of Commons. The event generated a great deal of media attention for both the exhibitors and for their Members of Parliament.  It formed part of a […]

News from Around the World

To mark November’s Diabetes Awareness Month and the centenary of the discovery of insulin, Canada’s Federal Minister of Health, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos MP, announced a joint investment of CAN $20 million to support new research teams across Canada. The teams will work to develop new approaches to preventing, treating, and caring for Canadians living […]

Dance for Diabetes

DA has also been active in encouraging people to participate in socially distant dance classes and raise funds for diabetes research. The launch for Dance4Diabetes was held at Brisbane’s Mt Coot-tha, a scenic spot and city icon. Dance4Diabetes encourages people to Donate, Dance and Dare to support diabetes research. You can find out more at https://dance4diabetes.org.au

“Heads Up on Diabetes”

Diabetes Australia (DA) is in the second year of a three year “Heads Up on Diabetes” campaign and this year is focusing on diabetes-related stigma. Their research indicates as many as 4 out of 5 people with diabetes have experienced feelings of blame or shame as a result of living with the condition, so this […]

Aussie Pollies Debate 100 years of Insulin

Australian politicians, called pollies by their media, debated 100 years of insulin on a motion proposed by MPs, Rowan Ramsey and Graham Perrett, the Co-Chairs of the Australian Parliament’s Friends of Diabetes. In the debate many issues were raised with MPs from across the country taking part. Rowan Ramsey (right), a member of the ruling […]

Associations’ News: COVID and Diabetes in Bermuda

COVID-19 hit Bermuda in March 2020, reports Debbie Jones, Chair of the Bermuda Diabetes Association. She said: “Like many other countries Bermuda did the best it could navigating itself around the advice from CDC, WHO and Public Health England. “The Bermuda Diabetes Association continued to serve the public during lockdown and provided those with diabetes […]

Associations’ News: News from Associate Members of PDGN – national diabetes associations and other not-for-profits

Diabetes Australia awards major research grants on 100-year anniversary of insulin discovery Research into new treatments for diabetes and ways to prevent the serious complications of diabetes are being supported in 19 diabetes research projects funded by the Diabetes Australia Research Program. Diabetes Australia CEO Professor Greg Johnson was hopeful that this AUS$1.1 million of […]

Canadian Parliamentary Diabetes Champion

Since Indian born Sonia Sidhu MP (Liberal) was first elected to the Canadian Parliament in 2015, she has championed diabetes awareness. She has taken a leading role in the ‘Let’s Defeat Diabetes’ campaign in the country while promoting Private Member’s Bill C-237 that seeks to create a National Framework for Diabetes Her Bill received unanimous […]

Another Successful Pollie Pedal for Diabetes

*Pollie is Australian slang for Politician CAPTION: Greg Johnson CEO Diabetes Australia, Guy Barnett MP, Caroline Wells CEO Diabetes Tasmania and Michael Bailey CEO Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce & Industry The 15th annual Tasmanian Pollie Pedal, held in February, was another great success raising just over Aus $49,000 – exceeding their target of $45,000. The […]

Importance of Understanding Diabetes Type

Little annoys people with diabetes more than references to one type of diabetes being confused with another. Grainne Flynne’s article is a good insight into the thinking of someone with the condition and the need not to discriminate between type one and type two. All types of diabetes are chronic, life threatening conditions and none […]