As stated in the WHO constitution “The enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health is one of the fundamental rights of every human being without distinction of race, religion, political belief, economic or social condition”.
People living with diabetes deserve equal access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, however, too many health inequalities still persist in Europe to guarantee this. We need to build a strong diabetes ecosystem as part of the ‘European Health Union’ in order to ensure that people living with diabetes do not face undue hardships, such as financial troubles or diabetes-related complications, as they attempt to access diabetes care, medicines, supplies and technologies throughout the course of their lives.
Creating a healthy diabetes ecosystem in Europe involves introducing an integrated system of people-centred care that focuses on the needs of the individual. Implementing a common framework across the EU will also help to ensure that everyone’s right to access high-quality, affordable healthcare is respected. In this way, people living with diabetes can avail of optimal diabetes management and the highest possible quality of life.
