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| Formation | 1950 |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Amsterdam, The Netherlands |
| Headquarters | Avenue Herrmann-Debroux 54 B-1160 Brussels, Belgium |
Membership | 240 national diabetes associations in 161 countries and territories |
President | Prof Akhtar Hussain |
| Website | https://www.idf.org/ |
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organisation of over 240 national diabetes associations in more than 161 countries and territories working together to improve and empower the lives of the 540 million people estimated to be living with diabetes and prevent diabetes in those at risk. Core to the diabetes community, IDF Members play a crucial role to ensure strategic objectives are reached, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where IDF has a strong presence.
According to the latest IDF figures, 537 million adults — aged 20-79 — are living with diabetes, with 50% undiagnosed. Predictions indicate that this number will rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. Over 75% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries, and half of adults living with diabetes are undiagnosed.
IDF activities
IDF activities aim to influence policy, increase public awareness and encourage health improvement.
IDF engages in actions to tackle diabetes from the local to the international level – from programmes at the community level to worldwide awareness and advocacy initiatives. The high-quality information about diabetes collected and shared by IDF informs advocacy initiatives for the best possible standards of care and prevention and provides education for people living with diabetes and their healthcare providers.
IDF humanitarian activities prioritise the needs of people with diabetes affected by a natural or human-made disaster, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
All IDF activities are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 4 (Quality education), SDG 5 (Gender equality), SDG 10 (Reduce inequalities) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
IDF advocacy partners
- Non-communicable Disease (NCD) Alliance: As one of the founding members of the NCD Alliance in 2009, we collaborate globally in over 80 countries to prevent and control NCDs, leaving no one behind.
- Global Coalition for Circulatory Health (GCCH): The GCCH is an advocacy initiative uniting 32 international, regional and national stakeholders in circulatory health. As a member of the GCCH leadership group, IDF works to drive the urgent action needed to combat heart disease, a leading cause of death globally and a major risk for people with diabetes.
- World Health Organization (WHO): IDF has official relations with the WHO. IDF and WHO collaborate closely on diabetes awareness, prevention and care. In 2021, WHO launched the Global Diabetes Compact to engage people with lived experiences in diabetes prevention and management.
- Panamerican Health Organization (PAHO): IDF is in official relations with PAHO/WHO in the Americas. PAHO works towards effective measures to prevent and manage diabetes and diabetes-related complications in the Americas, where an estimated 62 million people live with type 2 diabetes.
IDF projects and activities
IDF projects and activities include advocacy for accessible, equitable and quality diabetes; awareness raising about diabetes, its risk factors, and prevention; epidemiology and research to drive diabetes policies and programmes for management and prevention; and education for healthcare professionals and people with diabetes; and humanitarian relief to tackle the challenges of living with diabetes during a natural or human-made disaster.
Advocacy
IDF advocacy efforts hinge on projects that aim for improved diabetes care, accessibility and prevention. These efforts are undertaken with IDF Members, UN agencies, international organisations and diabetes advocates.
- IDF Advocacy Academy: IDF has an extensive network of advocates and supporters who are key to the success of our campaigns and activities. The IDF Advocacy Academy was established to provide educational opportunities to build the advocacy capacity of our network of Blue Circle Voices, Young Leaders in Diabetes and IDF Members.
Awareness
IDF awareness activities highlight issues of paramount importance to the global diabetes community and keep diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.
- World Diabetes Day: Marked every year on 14 November, World Diabetes Day is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign, galvanising a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries.
- Diabetes Voice: The online news platform provides insights on current and future trends in health policy, diabetes care and management, research and living with diabetes.
Education
IDF education initiatives strive to ensure that everyone has access to diabetes education. Two online platforms provide learning opportunities for healthcare professionals, people with diabetes and their families and carers.
- Healthcare professionals: The IDF School of Diabetes provides free and premium online courses on diabetes management and treatment for healthcare professionals.
- People with diabetes: The Understanding Diabetes platform offers free interactive courses to help people with diabetes and their carers understand and manage the condition.
- Centres of Excellence: IDF has designated 22 Centres of Excellence in six regions. These clinical or research institutes form part of a voluntary international network that offer specialised care and support to people with diabetes. Many centres also participate in research and clinical trials to develop new treatments and improve outcomes.
Epidemiology and research
Epidemiology and research are key components of IDF’s work. They strengthen understanding of the global impact of diabetes and lead to effective strategies to support healthcare professionals in preventing and treating diabetes and related complications.
The IDF Diabetes Atlas is the authoritative resource on the global impact of diabetes, providing global, regional and national impact data on diabetes prevalence, mortality and expenditure. It is a resource on diabetes for a wide range of audiences including decision-makers, public health authorities, healthcare professionals and educators.
IDF World Diabetes Congress
The IDF World Diabetes Congress is organised every two years and offers a unique and international forum to discuss a wide variety of diabetes-related topics. The next Congress will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on 7–10 April 2025.