European study shows healthcare systems failing diabetics

LDC Professor Kamlesh Khunti

Professor Kamlesh Khunti, co-director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre (LDC), led a European study involving 38 countries to find out how and why healthcare systems are failing to control the prevalence of diabetes. There are around 58 million people currently living with diabetes across Europe and 36 million more who are at risk of developing the condition. The research was launched because the European arm of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) wanted to further understand the challenges diabetes still continues to pose across the continent.

Professor Khunti, who is also Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine at the University of Leicester, says, “This report has demonstrated there are substantial European-wide challenges in the implementation of evidence-based practice for healthcare systems, healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes. We found only 22 (58%) IDF European countries have been implementing national diabetes programmes and only 15 countries (39%) have national diabetes registers, despite urgent recommendations being in place since the 1990s. As part of our findings, we have published a series of recommendations which we believe are essential to follow if we are to succeed in our global fight for the prevention of Type 2 diabetes.”

The report, Integrating Diabetes Evidence into Practice: Challenges and Opportunities to Bridge the Gaps, states that the implementation of diabetes evidence should be tailored to local circumstances with priority given to the education of healthcare professionals and persons living with diabetes to maximise the impact of government investment.

Professor Khunti was presented with the Outstanding Achievement Service Award at the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Congress 2017.

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