Mobilising for diabetes

One of IDF Europe's main activities is policy and advocacy at the regional and national level.

At regional level, the main targets of IDF Europe are the EU Institutions (European Parliament and European Commission), the Council of Europe and the World Health Organization European Region.

At national level, the Federation acts as a bridge for its Members by informing them on the latest policy developments Europe-wide. This way, national members can perfom their policy and advocay activities at national level, using regional activities as a reference.

With IMPACT diabetes (Initiative to Mobilize Parliamentarians to Act to Prevent, Care and Treat Diabetes), IDF Europe intends to pursue its contribution to a more informed political environment, where knowledge and understanding are provided by people living and working with diabetes so that effective policies for people with diabetes and those at risk are developed, adopted, financed, implemented and evaluated.

Mobilising parliamentarians for diabetes policies

IDF Europe links diabetes patient and professional communities in 47 countries through 70 national associations, facilitating the exchange of information and best practices. IDF Europe also provides evidence-based information on diabetes to members of national and European parliaments (MPs and MEPs) and since 2012 has supported the European Policy Action Network on Diabetes (ExPAND), which aimed to act as a pan-European forum to drive a new generation of national policies to address the diabetes epidemic.

A toolkit providing a one–stop resource covering the economic case for investment in diabetes, evidence of what works, and best practices across Europe was developed and disseminated amongst IDF Members in the European region for use in their advocacy and policy work at the national level. Furthermore, a small but committed group was formed of national parliamentarians from several European countries dedicated to create a better policy environment for diabetes prevention and control.

The goal to disseminate best practices around advocacy at the national level has been achieved. Increasing the level of participation of IDF Members in mobilizing parliamentarians is the next step to take.

IMPACT Diabetes

Learning from and building on the ExPAND experience, IDF Europe now brings the concept closer to its Members through IMPACT diabetes, whose aim is to support and strengthen the capacity of IDF Members in the European region to advocate for stronger diabetes prevention and better diabetes outcomes at the national level.

IMPACT also aims to encourage, wherever possible, stronger linkages between action at the Member State and European levels.

The following strategic actions and tools support IMPACT diabetes, based on the principles of peer and shared learning:

Review and update the Toolkit so that our Members can use it to the full in their advocacy interactions with policy-makers;
Create ad hoc advocacy and policy documents to support the efforts of our Members and Parliamentarians at the national level
Establish an inclusive, multi-stakeholder online platform coordinated by IDF Europe where our Members, current or former MPs and MEPs as well as policy advisors dedicated to the diabetes cause can share expertise, experiences, best practice and tools in a spirit of shared learning
Conduct advocacy and policy capacity-building workshops during which IDF Members in the European region can learn first-hand from and exchange with MPs, MEPs, political and other skilled advisors how best to mobilize and interact with policy-makers.
Promote the Diabetes Pledge, launched at the time of the last European elections, which continues to be a powerful statement which MPs and MEPs can sign to show commitment to the cause. The Diabetes Pledge is available in Seven Languages.

They signed the Pledge

We look forward to your engagement in IMPACT diabetes. Please contact IMPACT@idf-europe.org.

COVID-19 and diabetes