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IDF launches action plan to improve diabetes care in North America, Caribbean
New statistics reveal North America/Caribbean region has highest prevalence of diabetes.
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20th World Diabetes Congress
The International Diabetes Federation announced the launch of an action plan to improve the care, prevention and treatment of diabetes in the North American and Caribbean Region.
Statistics released at the 20th World Diabetes Congress in Montreal this week reveal that the North America and Caribbean region has the highest comparative prevalence of diabetes among the IDF regions. More than 37 million people in this region have diabetes, including 26.8 million in the United States, 6.8 million in Mexico and 2.9 million in Canada.
The IDF North American and Caribbean Region action plan calls for national implementation of United Nations Resolution on Diabetes 61,225, which has helped lay the foundation for national policies on the care and treatment of diabetes. However, the growing diabetes epidemic threatens to overwhelm health care systems unless urgent action is taken despite progress by major organizations.
The action plan focuses on five key elements:
- Collaboration between governments and stakeholders, including groups that represent health professionals and people living with diabetes, to achieve new legislation or improved implementation of existing legislation to tackle the diabetes epidemic.
- Improved treatment and care of diabetes to include integrated health centers, diabetes management based on evidence-based goals and better access to medications.
- Prevention through awareness and education in local communities.
- Optimized professional education and communication.
- Increased coordination of diabetes associations.
The plan also identifies the improvement in patient outcomes, which can be achieved with collaboration among the country associations, such as the American Diabetes Association and Canadian Diabetes Association, so that countries with a well developed diabetes infrastructure can share resources with neighboring countries.
“While countries such as the United States and Canada have already made significant steps to improve primary prevention measures to alleviate the growing burden of diabetes, these countries now have an important role to play in addressing diabetes in the region and developing practical actions to ensure that standards of care are regionally adopted,” Lurline Less, BSc, chair of the IDF NAC, said in a press release.
The launch was implemented after a meeting of IDF NAC member associations to review progress on tackling diabetes in this region and to prioritize the initiation of national programs.
"It is incumbent upon us to continue to speak loudly about the problem of diabetes, not only in the United States but around the world," Ann Albright, RD, PhD, American Diabetes Association representative to the IDF NAC and Director of the Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC, told Endocrine Today. "Many things are going to happen in incremental steps, as much as we would love it to happen all in one fell swoop."
"Action plans such as this can serve as an important guiding document that will provide a rallying point, an opportunity to put thoughts, ideas and perspectives on the table to help people organize and determine where and in what ways they may be able to contibute to the goal of this plan."
View the full IDF NAC action plan at the IDF website. - by Katie Kalvaitis