ARC East Director part of international collaboration

Professor Kamlesh Khunti CBE was a panellist at the launch event of a new publication by the International Diabetes Federation Europe.

‘Type 2 Diabetes: a preventable catastrophe?’ was published on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in a bid to raise awareness of the urgent need to adopt recent evidence-based recommendations in the management of the condition.

During the launch event, panellists discussed why we urgently need to adjust healthcare systems across Europe and remove the barriers that are preventing early and tight management of the condition and its associated risk factors. 

Professor Khunti explained why it is critical to ensure that people living with Type 2 Diabetes are diagnosed early and that they receive the support they need to achieve their targets in order to reduce the risk of developing life-altering complications.

He said: "We have excellent evidence showing that we can manage diabetes and prevent its complications. We also know that 50% or more of people living with diabetes (PwD) will die due to complications. What we need to do is simple things such as managing blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol and weight and empowering PwD to manage their condition. Together, all of these can dramatically reduce the risk of complications."

As well as Professor Khunti, the panellists also included:

  • Franc Bogovic MEP from the MEP Interest Group on Diabetes
  • Maurizio Guidi, chair of the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) Diabetes Platform 
  • Professot Tadej Battelino, Head of the Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology at University Medical Center Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Erik Werson, a person living with type 2 diabetes
  • Professor Nebojsa Lalic, IDF Europe Regional Chair

The panel discussion took place on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, between 12.30pm and 1.45 PM (CET) at the International Press Centre in Brussels, Belgium, and was also available online.

Published on: 6 Jun 2023