2nd Annual Symposium on Diabetes in Humanitarian Crisis
This 2nd Annual Symposium on Diabetes in Humanitarian Crises will follow up on the progress that has been made over the past year, discuss the major global events of the past year that are changing the humanitarian health agenda, and discuss a way forward.
Approximately half a billion people globally live with diabetes, of which 80% live in lower- and middle-income countries. The geography and nature of humanitarian crises today put people with diabetes at greater risk than ever. The current COVID19 pandemic highlights the challenges for diabetes care on a global scale as reports show more severe disease and increased mortality in people with diabetes due to COVID19, compounded by a limited workforce, overwhelmed health systems and disrupted supply chains for essential medical supplies.
In April 2019, Harvard University convened a meeting in Boston (MA, USA; April 4–5, 2019) with humanitarian and other organizations in global health to discuss the immediate needs and barriers to tackling diabetes in humanitarian crises, and to adopt a unified, action-oriented agenda to address this pressing global health issue. The meeting resulted in the Boston Declaration which was signed by 64 signatories from over 40 international organizations. The Boston Declaration set four major targets for the group to work towards over the next 3 years:
- Unified and strengthened advocacy for diabetes in humanitarian crises
- Universal access to insulin and other essential medicines and diagnostics
- Establishment of a unified set of clinical and operational guidelines for diabetes in humanitarian crises
- Improved and coordinated data and surveillance
To achieve these targets successfully, sustained collaborative commitment of a diverse network of partners is required. The International Alliance for Diabetes Action (IADA) was therefore established with the goal of ensuring the availability and affordability of diabetes treatments and diagnostics and improving care for every person with diabetes affected by humanitarian crises. This 2nd Annual Symposium on Diabetes in Humanitarian Crises will follow up on the progress that has been made over the past year, discuss the major global events of the past year that are changing the humanitarian health agenda, and discuss a way forward.
SYMPOSIUM AIMS
- Provide updates and obtain feedback on the work that has been done to date since April 2019
- Review the global events of the past year that are changing the humanitarian health agenda
- Discuss and prioritize next steps and the agenda for 2021
Please note that the time listed is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
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