National diabetes programmes

Great strides have been made in our collective understanding of the benefits of well-managed diabetes and controlled blood glucose, and the key role in these that is played by physical activity. Yet slow progress has been made translating this knowledge into effective lifestyle education to engender healthful behaviour on a large scale. Very many young people remain at particularly high  risk from the chronic effects of disabling diabetes complications.

Working for a joint cause, collectively facing the same challenges, has been a uniting force for the Norwegian NCD Alliance. The Scandinavian allegiance was inspired by the global NCD Alliance founded by IDF . The links between diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have made cooperation between diabetes and heart organizations imperative. But bringing cancer and respiratory health into the campaign broke crucial new ground.

One of the first voices to call for a UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs, IDF has long recognized the need for a political platform to secure commitments and leadership at the highest level for diabetes. The global data on diabetes prevalence and costs presented in IDF’s Diabetes Atlas are critical to persuading policy makers of the need for urgent action to tackle the disease. Experience has shown, however, that even such robust evidence and dramatic numbers have not been enough to change hearts and minds and stimulate the increased investment required.

The new Diabetes Atlas, published recently by the IDF, confirms that the diabetes epidemic continues to worsen.

At the global level, a defining feature of what is now called ‘global health governance’ is the extension of the role of policy actor beyond national governments and international agencies to include public/private partnerships, private foundations, international NGOs, as well as the private sector.