IDF is organising a joint symposium dedicated to the IDF Diabetes Atlas and its BRIDGES programme.

Join us to discover the latest worldwide estimates on diabetes and learn about the practical solutions supported by IDF to prevent the condition and its complications.

The symposium will include an overview by region of the diabetes epidemic as well as new estimates on gestational diabetes from the Diabetes Atlas.

It will also showcase two projects supported by IDF BRIDGES: a prevention programme in Barranquilla, Colombia leads by Professor Jaakko Tuomilehto and a project dedicated to GDM in Tianjin, China.

The symposium will take place on December 5^th at 17.15 (room 201 of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre). This will be followed by a cocktail reception.

For more information about this symposium This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IDF BRIDGES is supported by an educational grant from Lilly Diabetes

The Diabetes Atlas is sponsored by Lilly Diabetes; Merck & Co., Inc; Novo Nordisk A/S and Sanofi Diabetes

Show us how you are taking a step for diabetes

This year show the world how you are taking a step for diabetes. The World Diabetes Day campaign is showcasing the variety of steps that individuals and groups around the world are taking to raise diabetes awareness and promote prevention. We are encouraging everyone to submit steps collected through various activities on our Take a Step for Diabetes online platform. The goal is to reach 371 million steps, in support of the number of people living with diabetes. The campaign will culminate at the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne this December. Both individuals and groups can register and take part.

Since the launch of the platform in May, over two million steps have been submitted. Leading the way in the group category is SerDiabetico, a diabetes association in San Martin, Argentina. Their steps have included a variety of awareness activities including promoting the blue circle on their website, publishing a diabetes story in a local newspaper and organising educational activities involving more than 100 participants.

Among the top individuals is Fred from France, an active diabetes blogger who has accumulated thousands of steps through physical activities such as walking, mountain-biking and football. Fred has also committed to posting a new photo with the blue circle on his Twitter account every week leading up to World Diabetes Day - 14 November.

Visit http://steps.worlddiabetesday.org to view all the groups and individuals who have registered and are showing the world how they are taking a step for diabetes. Taking part is easy - Find out how.

Various milestones have been placed along the path to the target, each linked to a fact and figure related to diabetes. Help us reach our next milestone (4,800,000 steps) and you could win a blue circle t-shirt, pin and bracelet!

In Focus: Pin a Personality

French comedian, actor and director Jean Marie Bigard, the Governor of Puerto Rico Alejandro García Padilla and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative Antonius Broek are among the latest personalities to have been pinned with the blue circle and featured in our online Gallery. If you are one of the many who have requested and received blue circle pins in recent weeks, don't hesitate to send pictures of your pinned personalities to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or share them on our Facebook and Twitter pages.

New to the campaign? Help us promote awareness of the blue circle - the global symbol of diabetes - by identifying a local personality and encouraging them to wear the blue circle pin. If you are up for the challenge, blue circle pins can be requested online.

If you need a convincing argument to get a personality to wear the pin, view facts, figures and more about the diabetes epidemic and why it is important that we all take action to protect our future.

World Diabetes Day Resources

COMING SOON: PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

This year IDF is releasing a public service announcement to strengthen diabetes awareness and reach more people than ever-before . The short fifty-second animation will display three of the main complications of diabetes, namely blindness, amputation, heart failure and promotes the importance of staying healthy.

CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT

Have you been recently diagnosed with diabetes or know someone who has? Looking for information about the importance of healthy nutrition and physical activity in the management of diabetes? Our World Diabetes Day online toolkit features information about all aspects of the disease as well as helpful tips on raising awareness, getting support from a national diabetes association, and connecting with the wider diabetes community.

POSTERS

World Diabetes Day 2013 has new posters promoting the key messages of the campaign. They are currently available for download in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Italian. If you would like to see them in your own language, please send the translations of the texts below to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. :

• World's most populated countries: 1. China, 2. India, 3. DIABETES, 4. USA, 5. Brazil
• 1 in 2 people with diabetes don't know they have it. Are you at risk?
• Diabetes, know the complications: Amputation, Blindness, Heart Attack, Kidney Failure
• People with diabetes are just like you and me. Don't discriminate. Diabetes: protect our future

Print copies of the posters are available in English, French and Spanish. Copies can be requested online.

View all our 2009-2013 posters.

World Diabetes Day Heroes

Do you know someone that is active in promoting the diabetes cause or engaging, motivating and inspiring others to take steps toward achieving healthier lifestyles? Tell us about this person and they could become a World Diabetes Day Hero. Visit our Heroes Gallery to see all individuals currently featured.

One such hero was Mauro Talini, a young Italian with type 1 diabetes who unfortunately recently passed away in a tragic accident in Mexico in May. Mauro was riding solo across the Americas to show that there is no limit to what an individual can achieve with diabetes. He had covered over 16,000 kilometres, bringing inspiration to everyone that he encountered along the way.

Nominate your hero and we will post their story on our website and social media channels. All heroes will also receive a "Show your Outrage' T-shirt, blue circle bracelet and a blue circle pin!

The International Diabetes Federation is pleased to announce the launch of BRIDGES Research Net, a grant programme that aims to reproduce and implement successful interventions developed by IDF BRIDGES-supported projects.

Since the launch of BRIDGES in 2007, 38 translational research projects in 34 countries have received our support in terms of the provision of both financing and mentoring.

“Our aim has always been to sponsor projects which can be replicated”, commented Professor Linda Siminerio, Chair of BRIDGES Executive Committee. “Therefore, we always concentrated on quality rather than quantity when selecting recipients for our grants. Today, with the launch of BRIDGES Research Net, we are going one step further: we are supporting the replication of the successful interventions that we originally supported”.

The concept of BRIDGES Research Net is based on BRIDGES D-START, in which an intervention that has proven successful in one country is used as a call for tender to be reproduced and implemented elsewhere. Applicants will need to explain how they will adapt the chosen intervention culturally and socially to its new context, and demonstrate strong support for their project from local authorities.

The selected applicants will receive a full week of training onsite by the Principal Investigator of the replicated intervention prior to the start of the intervention, as well as ongoing support.

This first round of BRIDGES Research Net will replicate a proven project focussing on improving diabetes foot care – “The Impact of the Initiation of an Educational and Preventive Foot Care Centre for People with Diabetes in Alexandria, Egypt”.

 BRIDGES is an IDF programme supported by an educational grant from Lilly Diabetes.

It is with great sadness that IDF Europe has learned the passing of Max Ørnskov Hansen from Denmark last May at the age of 48.

The Federation would like to pay homage to Max Hansen and thank him for his valuable contribution to the fight against diabetes and his dedicated work for IDF Europe.

Member of the Danish Diabetes Association, Max Hansen was elected for the first time as Board Member of IDF Europe in 2002 and was re-elected in 2005. During his two terms, Max proved to be an excellent treasurer of IDF Europe, wise and alert during difficult discussions. Living with diabetes type 1 himself, he was also always standing for people with diabetes. Unfortunately, Max could not fullfil his second term as IDF Europe Board Member, due to a very serious illness that struck him during a diabetes congress in Athens, back in September 2005. Since then, Max has been receiving special health care for the past eight years.

In September 2006, Wim Wientjens, then IDF Europe President, and Lex Herrebrugh, former Regional Manager, visited Max in Denmark to hand him over the plaque of IDF Europe in recognition for his services to the Federation.

Once again, IDF Europe would like to pay homage to the remarkable contribution of Max to the diabetes community. Our sincere condolences are going to the family and friends of Max.

Photo: from left to right - Wim Wientjens, Max Ørnskov Hansen and Lex Herrebrugh