The Pin a Personality campaign was launched in 2012 to help the blue circle become the universally recognised symbol for diabetes awareness. The concept is simple: identify a personality or well-know individual in your community and get them to wear the blue circle pin to show their support for diabetes awareness. Take a picture and share it with us!

Over 400 individuals from all over the world have been pinned so far and are featured in our Pin a Personality Gallery.

Recent personalities pinned (pictured above) include the former Prime Minister of New Zealand and current Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Helen Clark, Lord Nigel Crisp, a Member of the House of Lords, and Dr Nick Banatvala, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Director General, Noncommunicable diseases and mental health, World Health Organisation. 

Find out how you can join the campaign.

The World Medical Association (WMA) has opened a two-month consultation on its Helsinki Declaration on medical research involving human subjects.

WMA invites all interested stakeholders to comment on the proposed changes to the text, which revised version has been posted on the WMA website. All experts and stakeholders are invited to submit their comments to the WMA secretariat no later than 15 June 2013.

The workgroup in charge of the revision announced that the proposed changes provide for more protection for vulnerable groups and all participants by including the issue of compensation, more precise and specific requirements for post-study arrangements and a more systematic approach to the use of placebos. In addition, the revised text maintains the unique character and length of the Declaration. It also provides better readability by reorganising and restructuring the document with sub headings.

The documents for public consultation can be downloaded here.

For more information on the consultation process, click here to go to the World Medical Association's website.

EUPATI - the European Patients' Academy on Therapeutic Innovation, has just published its newsletter for the second quarter of 2013. 

The European project aims to provide scientifically reliable, objective, comprehensive information to patients on pharmaceutical R&D. It will increase the capacity of well-informed patients to be effective advocates and advisors, for example in clinical trials, with regulatory authorities and in ethics committees. A consortium of 29 organisations, led by the European Patients' Forum, comprises a unique combination of pan-European patient organisations, academic and not-for profit organisations expert in patient and public engagement and EFPIA member companies. It features excellence in state-of-the art, high quality, objective education to patients about therapeutic innovation.

To read the newsletter, click here.