The recent 148th WHO Executive Board (18-23 January) approved the renewal of official relations between IDF and the World Health Organization (WHO) for the period 2021-2023.

Official relations is a privilege that the Executive Board of WHO can grant to nongovernmental organizations and other entities that have had and continue to have a sustained and systematic engagement in the interest of WHO. They are based on a three-year plan for collaboration which contains agreed objectives and outlined activities, and is structured in accordance with the WHO General Programme of Work and consistent with the Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors.

IDF’s 2021-2023 collaboration plan is structured around two WHO strategic priorities: one billion more people enjoying better health and well-being and one billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage by 2023. Activities in the collaboration plan include:

• Supporting WHO’s work in diabetes awareness through IDF’s World Diabetes Day campaign.
• Providing technical input to the WHO PEN and HEARTS D Diabetes package.
• Providing technical input to assist WHO’s efforts towards encouraging diabetes scientific development and knowledge.
• Organising two capacity building workshops for healthcare professionals from low- and middle-income countries on diabetic foot prevention and management.
• Supporting WHO in improving access to essential diabetes medicines by submitting glifozins for inclusion into the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines in 2021.
• Raising awareness of the centenary of the discovery of insulin.

Read the Executive Board paper on the renewal of the IDF-WHO official relations.