The forum for Parliamentary Champions for Diabetes has just been held in Melbourne, Australia during the World Diabetes Congress that was organised by the International Diabetes Federation.

Members of more than 50 parliaments have committed themselves to tackling the global challenge posed by the surging worldwide diabetes pandemic.

Two prominent politicians from Malta were invited by the International Diabetes Federation to participate in the forum in view of their past and ongoing commitment for the diabetes cause.

Simon Busuttil, the Leader of the Opposition, was invited in view of his sterling work as a co-chairman of the EU Diabetes Working Group in the European Parliament during his tenure as an MEP until last March, which led to the resolution on diabetes adopted almost unanimously by the European Parliament in March 2012.

The other politician was Joseph Cassar, who, as minister of health in the last legislature, had spearheaded several initiatives in favour of persons living with diabetes and two important strategies that also impacted diabetes: the national strategy against obesity and the strategy for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Malta.

The parliamentarians released the Melbourne Declaration on Diabetes, which was agreed to unanimously at the forum.

The declaration has established the Parliamentarians for Diabetes Global Network.

The parliamentarians decided to act in light of new IDF data estimating that, by 2035, there will be 600 million people with diabetes, about one in 10 of the world’s population, and a further 450 million at risk of developing the disease.

Diabetes is indeed a global challenge; it led to the death of about 5.1 million people this year, one person every six seconds. These are frightening figures that cannot be underestimated or ignored.

The declaration is very significant as it acknowledges the growing serious social, economic and medical threat faced by nations large and small by the increasing diabetes pandemic.

Diabetes is a major threat to the health and productivity of all nations. It is a leading cause of blindness, amputations, kidney failure, heart attacks and stroke and early death. The economic burden of diabetes is immense and, in 2013, diabetes will take up 11 per cent of worldwide health expenditure – $548 billion.

There are, however, solutions for managing and preventing the diabetes pandemic. Affordable access to healthcare providers and treatments including insulin, other oral and injectable medicine, self-management supports and technologies can help prevent most of the complications of diabetes.

The signatories at the forum have committed themselves to working across parliaments to ensure that diabetes is high on the political agenda in every country. They would like to see more preventative work being done and, then, that early diagnosis, management and access to adequate care, treatment and medicines is available for all those living with diabetes.

The Melbourne Declaration provides our parliamentary supporters with the tools to raise the issue in every country across the world and press for change. Parliamentarians can also have significant influence in their community and elsewhere. Undoubtedly, this declaration offers a means to expedite these desirable objectives.

The forum of parliamentarians was also addressed by the European commissioner responsible for health and consumer affairs, Tonio Borg, who reiterated the European Commission’s support.

Diabetes caused the death of one person every six seconds this year

He announced that, next year, the Commission will launch a joint action with EU member states to address chronic diseases and promote healthy ageing. This will support member states in their efforts towards more efficient prevention and management of chronic conditions.

Significantly, the commissioner reported that part of the joint action will be specifically devoted to diabetes – focusing on barriers to prevention, screening and treatment; providing an opportunity to look at earlier and better diagnosis of diabetes.

It is also very significant that Busuttil was elected vice president of the first executive committee of the Parliamentarians for Diabetes Global Network. After advocating the cause so successfully in the European Parliament, culminating with the conferment of the MEP Award for Health in 2012, he can now contribute to this cause on a global level.

He will be joined in the committee by British MP Adrian Sanders as president and Rachel Nyamai MP from Kenya.

IDF president Sir Michael Hirst and Guy Barnett, a former Australian senator, both co-chairmen of the forum, are ex-officio members of the executive committee.

Judi Moylan, a former long-standing Australian MP who is also president of Diabetes Australia, was appointed global coordinator of the Network.

I echo the sentiments of Sir Michael that this declaration and the newly-formed network of parliamentarians is an important moment in the political battle to ensure that governments understand the threat the world faces from diabetes.

Diabetes is a global challenge requiring a global response. We then need to act locally.

www.idf.org

Chris Delicata is vice president of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF Global).