Bochum, 25. Oktober 2016:

Auf internationalen Tagungen, zuletzt während des 11. Internationalen Kongresses der Arabischen Diabetesgesellschaft in Kairo vom 11.-13. Oktober 2016 sprach ich mit Sir Michael Hirst, Past-Präsident der Internationalen Diabetes-Föderation (IDF) und Mitglied des Britischen Parlaments. Dieser gründete im Rahmen seiner IDF-Präsidentschaft eine Internationale Vereinigung von Parlamentariern zur Verbesserung der Diabetesbetreuung weltweit. Er bat mich, in Deutschland darauf hinzuwirken, dass sich deutsche Parlamentarier an diesem Netzwerk beteiligen, was bisher nicht der Fall ist. Alle 2 Jahre wird ein Forum abgehalten, bei dem neue Ideen, die erzielten Erfolge, aber auch die Schwierigkeiten bei der Umsetzung eines Diabetes-Plans in den verschiedenen Ländern der Welt besprochen werden mit dem Ziele der gegenseitigen Befruchtung. Das erste Forum wurde 2013 in Melbourne und das zweite 2015 in Vancouver abgehalten. Das dritte Parlamentarier-Diabetesforum soll in Europa stattfinden.

Auf Anregung unseres DDG-Geschäftsführers, Herrn Dr. Dietrich Garlichs, werde ich den Aufruf von Sir Michael Hirst auch an den zuständigen Berichterstatter der AG Gesundheit der CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion für Diabetes, Herrn Dietrich Monstadt, schicken.

Unten ist der Text abgedruckt. Bitte kommentieren Sie ihn, wenn Sie möchten.

Helmut Schatz

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THE GLOBAL NETWORK OF PARLIAMENTARY CHAMPIONS FOR DIABETES

Chair:  Sir Michael Hirst                           Secretary-General:  Adrian Sanders

The Global Network of Parliamentary Champions for Diabetes (PDGN) was established in 2013 by Guy Barnett, now a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Tasmania and formerly a Federal Senator in the Australian Parliament, and Sir Michael Hirst, then President of the International Diabetes Federation and a former Member of the UK Parliament.  Both have a long connection with Type 1 diabetes, and were strong champions of diabetes in their respective Parliaments.  Both also recognised how much could be achieved by determined advocacy for diabetes, but how much more could potentially be achieved by building an international network of similar champions.

PDGN held its first Global Forum in Melbourne in 2013, and the second took place in Vancouver in 2015.  Currently, planning is taking place for the third Global Forum which is expected to be in Europe.  Both Forums were attended by Members of Parliament from nearly 60 countries; the second Forum approved the Vancouver Declaration, pledging Parliamentarians to work to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal to provide universal access to health care.

Each Forum has included sessions on Country Reports by Members of Parliament, detailing the progress that has been made on the diabetes agenda in their country, as well as sharing their  challenges and problems.  Forum attendees have taken away ideas and endeavoured to replicate them in their own Parliament.  A particularly good example was the action taken by the two delegates from Malta where there was at that time no diabetes working group in their Parliament.  They set up a group which had the support of over one thirds of the elected Members, advocated strongly – and successfully – for a National Diabetes Plan and persuaded the government to strengthen the Plan in a number of ways that they thought helpful to people with diabetes and those that provide care for them.

The officers elected at Vancouver for a four year term, are:  President:  Guy Barnett MP (Australia); Vice Presidents: Dr Simon Busuttil MP (Malta), Susan Jackson MP (Bermuda), Senator Florian Bodog (Romania), Dr Mostafa Brahimi MP (Morocco) and Dr Rachael Nyamai MP (Kenya).  Sir Michael Hirst and Adrian Sanders, both former MPs in the UK, were elected Co-Chairs, the officers subsequently appointing Adrian Sanders to be the Secretary-General of the Global Network.

The Network’s current membership is approaching 180 Members of Parliament in 60 countries, and there are ambitious plans to increase membership by at least 50% in the next two years, and to work towards representation in one hundred Parliaments.  The legal status of the Network is a private charitable company, limited by guarantee, registered in the United Kingdom, and regulated by the UK Charity Commission.  Membership of the Network is free and without obligation, open to any Member of Parliament who is pledged to champion diabetes in their own Parliament and country.

The Network’s sponsors include companies in the health care, food and health insurance sectors, Foundations, Diabetes Associations and private individuals.  An upgraded PDGN website is about to be launched www.pdgn.org.uk, and will serve as a means of communication with and between its Members.  Further information from:  smh@glentirran.co.uk

October 2016

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