WDF Diabetes sessions in Alexandria

Diabetes in the developing world was in focus when European Action on Global Life Sciences (EAGLES) and the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) organized a diabetes symposium at BioVision the 27-29 April at the New Library of Alexandria, Egypt, with the participation of more than 150 participants and world leading experts.

The Bio Vision Alexandria and the World Life Sciences Forum, Bio Vision, are important gatherings of opinion leaders and prominent scientists who encourage constructive dialogue among key players in the development of life sciences. They include members of academics, industry, research institutions, media, and society. The ultimate goal is to provide a platform of exchange and information to meet the challenges facing the 21st century.

The main goal of the WDF diabetes session was to promote diabetes advocacy in general and the dire need for interventions focussing on prevention and treatment of diabetes, through WDF project partners and stakeholders such as from WHO, IDF, and academics from leading institutions. Further more the purpose of the diabetes symposiums was to raise Europe’s responsibility in addressing this problem, and how to increase awareness amongst European policymakers of the need for possible prevention strategies and better affordable diabetes care in the developing world. A crucial factor and important goal with the parallel diabetes sessions was to show policy makers, health officials and scientists from Europe and the developing world that much can be done to mitigate this burden, if it is done right and suggest new and effective partnerships and possible funding with EU for the benefit of the developing world.

The European Comissioner of research endorsing the collaboration between reasearchers in Europe and the developing countries

The Commissioner of Research, Mr. Janes Potoénik, spent 2 minutes in his video recorded speech congratulating EAGLES with there commitment and initiatives to enhance the collaboration between Europe and the developing world. ”The strong supportive statement for EAGLES from Commissioner Potoénik indicates that the European Commission is eager to improve the collaboration between European researchers and the researcerhs in the developing countries” said Jens Degett, Executive Director of EAGLES. “I believe that EAGLES is the institution that will make this possible.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 75% of women over the age of 30 are now overweight in countries as diverse as Egypt, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey. Estimates are similar for men, with over 75% now overweight in Argentina, India, China, Kuwait and Greece. Obesity and sedentary life styles are important risk factors for both diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Once considered a problem only in wealthy countries, WHO estimates show that the prevalence of overweight and obesity are now dramatically increasing in the low and middle income countries. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) predicts the current global diabetes population of 230 million people will grow to more than 350 million people in the next 20 years.

"We are witnessing a large scale pandemic in terms of overweight and obesity, and related chronic diseases. Over the next ten years, the prevalence of diabetes and consequently hypertension, coronary artery disease and stroke are expected to increase most significantly in the regions of the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa. What is even more disturbing is the fact that type 2 diabetes can be easily prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle which includes healthy eating and regular physical activity" explains Dr Gojka Roglic, WHO Department of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion.

WDF and EAGLES follow up initiative and meeting in the European Commission

As a potential follow up initiative, the EAGLES are to facilitate a meeting between a select group of the European Parliamentarians in Brussels later this year Participants will be members of the 3 parliamentarian committees on health, research and development, members of EAGLES Steering Committees, representatives from the European Commission, the international press and some specially invited stakeholders such as WDF.

Dr Anil Kapur, WDF Managing Director and local participant’s exchanging views at the WDF Diabetes sessions in Alexandria.

“Basically we can conclude the awareness and magnitude of the diabetes pandemic appears to be neglected by the health care planners . That’s why it was important for WDF to be part of the diabetes sessions and to substantiate the alarming figures. If nothing is done, many countries will be unable to cope with the future costs of diabetes care. Even now  one of the greatest barriers we face at the WDF is that when we meet development agencies, they always say chronic diseases are not important in the developing countries”, explains Dr Anil Kapur WDF Managing Director

EAGLES is an initiative supported by the European Commission. The role of the EAGLES is to enhance the collaboration between European researchers and researchers in the developing world to fight hunger and disease, has been launched by the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB). The project is being supported by the European Commission and is a collaboration between EFB and scientific partners in Europe, China, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa and the Philippines. Members of the Steering Committees include prominent scientists from China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Syria and Thailand.