Q4-11

What a year and a decade!

End of the year editorial. With 2011 coming to an end WDF stands at the brink of its tenth year of existence. While this landmark calls for celebration it also induces some degree of self-reflection: What was the purpose of our creation and has progress been made towards that objective?

Answering the first question takes a mere look at our Code of Conduct: "Our aim is to alleviate human suffering related to diabetes and its complications among those least able to withstand the burden of the disease."

Admittedly, venturing into making this purpose reality was full of challenges in an environment where people thought that diabetes was a problem of affluence, affecting elderly people in the developed world.

Nevertheless, we gave it a try and thought the best way was to empower the very people who are affected to provide the answer. So we set out to support grass root projects simple to implement; we created local ownership and capacity and gave local champions a voice and platform. Our initiatives had direct significance for the vulnerable. And the partnerships we created had a catalytic effect leading others to do more. The close to 300 projects that WDF has funded so far, serve as examples of how we have put our thoughts into reality.

Apart from supporting general capacity building, in the first few years the WDF focused on what I often refer as the orphan complications of diabetes - the diabetic foot and diabetic eye disease. WDF stimulated, funded and supported the implementation of a very basic program for prevention of foot amputations - the Step by Step model which has now been replicated in close to 40 countries, training hundreds of health care providers and saving thousands of feet from amputations. Similarly, the over 45 WDF supported eye care projects have screened almost 750,000 people with diabetes for eye problems and provided sight saving laser therapy or Vitreo-retinal surgery for nearly 65,000 people who would otherwise surely have gone blind.

These are no mean achievements. Yet, we did not stop there, and on the way opened new fronts in the fight against diabetes. In this newsletter you will see the milestones we have passed this year within two relatively new focus areas, namely mothers and diabetes and tuberculosis and diabetes.

I like to think of WDF as a multifaceted organisation that understands the ground realities, a thought leader that sees opportunities, a partner that creates enabling links and connections and an agency with the ability, persistence and patience to move the agenda. In this newsletter we focus on some of the advocacy activities which WDF has been undertaking in during 2011.

I look back at 2011 as a year which has almost swished past while everyone around me was busy working diligently and with utmost commitment to get the job done. Throughout 2012 we will be marking the 10 year anniversary.

I wish you all a happy festive season and happy healthy 2012.

Dr Anil Kapur
Managing Director
World Diabetes Foundation

2011 Advocacy milestones

Throughout 2011 WDF has worked hard to fulfil its mission of being a catalyst for change through focused advocacy work at local, regional and global level. We zoom in on some of the milestones reached in 2011.

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Networking in Dubai 

WDF was present at the World Diabetes Congress in Dubai 4-8 December and took the opportunity to meet with current project partners and talk to potential ones. We asked our five busy programme coordinators about their experience.

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Interview: diabetes and tuberculosis hit the global agenda

The Collaborative Framework for Care and Control of Tuberculosis and Diabetes was launched in August this year. We spoke to one of the driving forces behind the genesis of this framework document, Prof. Anthony Harries, Senior Advisor in The Union.   

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Walk! campaign takes first social media steps

The 2011 Global Diabetes Walk campaign took a leap into the sphere of social media. With a steady increase in walk participants each year, there was a need for people to also participate and share their ideas and Walks online.

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