Future Directions

At the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders made an historic promise to free people from extreme poverty and deprivation. This pledge turned into the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which include halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education by the target date of 2015. This universal contract for eradicating poverty created awareness among the public and political leaders alike, and generated record flows of aid for health and development. But with the 2015 deadline approaching, what real progress has been made?

The Ethiopian Diabetes Association (EDA) was established in January 1984 in response to the growing problem of diabetes in the country. The role of the Ethiopian Medical Association in the establishment of the EDA has been fundamental. While the EDA is a legally registered charitable organization, which strives to improve the lives of people living with diabetes, its patron is the Ministry of Health.

In this section, we focus on the International Diabetes Federation Young Leaders project. Here, we profile Sana Ajmal, the group’s Vice-President, and a busy mother of two living in Karachi, Pakistan. Her day-to-day is an ongoing feat of multi-tasking: the constellation of duties and responsibilities of a family-home builder vie with the demands of Sana’s doctoral studies, as well as her health advocacy work with the Young Leaders – not to mention managing her type 1 diabetes.

2011 was undoubtedly a landmark year for diabetes and global health more broadly. The UN High-Level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) in September changed the global health and development landscape forever. Diabetes and NCDs finally reached prominence when 193 UN Member States adopted the Political Declaration on NCDs and agreed to a set of commitments that has the potential to accelerate coordinated global progress that has been lacking for so long.

Over 50% of the world’s population is under 30. This group contribute around 5% to the global diabetes population – and their numbers are growing fast. Yet the needs of young people with diabetes often go unnoticed. Older generations overlook youth at our peril. In the words of Kofi Annan, “a society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline." Given the corrosive effects of inadequately managed diabetes on societies and economies worldwide, the need for diabetes advocacy involving an engaged and informed youth section has never been more important.

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.

With the number of people living with diabetes estimated at 300 million worldwide and expected to increase to 500 million by 2030, there is an urgent need to act. As part of its plan to strengthen its Regions, the International Diabetes Federation encourages setting goals and targets based on regional needs. With economic development and rapid urbanization, African countries are witnessing a significant increase in the rates diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer.

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.

Occupying in the northwest corner of South America, Colombia has borders with five countries, including Panama to the north and Brazil to the south, and a Caribbean as well as a Pacific coastline. Colombia, with 45 million inhabitants, has the second-largest population in South America and although it has one of the largest economies on the continent, inequality and unequal distribution of wealth are widespread. Around half the population lives under the poverty line.