News from Europe

Health inequalities on top of priorities list for diabetes association in Nordic countries

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Published on Wednesday, 26 June 2013 10:00

This year, it was the turn of the Danish Diabetes Association to host the traditional summer meeting, the Nordic Forum, which gathers the diabetes associations from Iceland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. The 4-day meeting was held from 6 to 9 June in Copenhagen.

Special attention was given to health inequalities and to national diabetes plans as a way to secure equal treatment of people with diabetes. Representatives from the Nordic diabetes associations discussed this key issue as well as ways of coordinating their actions to aim at equal access to diabetes care and treatment for all. Youth groups of the participating countries were also invited to host parallel sessions and were invited to joint sessions during the forum.

Alongside the Nordic Forum, the Danish Diabetes Association also invited the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) to host its Board Meeting in Copenhagen. Joint discussions were held with Sir Michael Hirst, IDF Global President, João Manuel Valente Nabais, IDF Europe President, and Christel Schaldemose, Member of European Parliament.

Amongst the topics discussed was again how to address health inequalities in diabetes, as well as national diabetes plans and joint actions at European and global levels.

In one of the main outcomes of the meeting, participants to the Nordic Forum committed to advocate their national governments to make sure that national diabetes include clearly-defined targets to secure better treatment and care for people living with diabetes, but that they also ensure equal access diabetes care for all.

For more information, contact Charlotte Rulffs Klausen at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photos courtesy of Henrik Schurmann