The
International Diabetes Federation (IDF) was founded in 1950. It is the
only global advocate which strives specifically to improve the lives
of people with diabetes and is most important global opinion leader
in the field of diabetes. The IDF has its headquarters in Brussels and
is a Federation of more than 170 member diabetes associations from over
140 countries. The IDF is subdivided into seven separate regions. The
Western Pacific Region (IDF/WPR) was founded in 1984. It comprises 16
member associations from 16 countries and has a regional office in Singapore.
It promotes a number of activities within the region to improve the
circumstances of people with diabetes and to combat the perils of diabetes,
and also acts to further the interests of the International Federation
at the regional level. Notable examples of activities include the development
of triennial regional congresses, liaison with the IDF Consultative
Sections on Childhood and Adolescent Diabetes and Diabetes Education
to hold regional leadership workshops and with IDF Task Forces which
examine issues such as Diabetes Health Economics. The region also works
closely with the IDF Education Foundation and with World Diabetes Day
activities and has its own official journal - Diabetes Research and
Clinical Practice.
Founded
in 1948 and headquartered in Geneva, the World Health Organizatin (WHO)
is one of the United Nations 16 specialized agencies. WHO Regional Office
for the Western Pacific (WPRO) based in Manila, Philippines covers 37
countries and areas and exists to support all countries and peoples
of the Region to achieve the highest attainable levels of health, which
is defined in the WHO constitution as "a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity". Prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases
has been identified as a WHO priority at global and regional levels.
The Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) is one of the 17 focuses in the WHO
regional technical programme. Diabetes is an integrated part of NCD
which aims at reducing morbidity, disability and premature mortality
resulting from NCD and at improving the quality of life of people with
NCD through the development of comprehensive prevention and control
programmes and strengthened surveillance and management. The
WHO/WPRO NCD programme focuses on assessment of the epidemiology of
NCD and their associated risk factors and environmental determinants,
advocacy for strong political commitment, provision of support for the
development of public policies and evidence-based NCD prevention and
control, increasing awareness of NCD and their risk factors. NCD control
is seen as integrated part of primary health care and development of
an integrated approach to NCD; and diabetes prevention and control within
the framework of Healthy Cities and Healthy Islands programmes is encouraged.
SPC
is previously called the South Pacific Community. It has as its mission
"to develop the technical, professional, scientific, research,
planning, and management capability of Pacific Islands people to enable
them to make informed decision about their future development and well-being."
SPC is the oldest regional organization in the Pacific serving the 22
island countries and territories of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia
since 1947 and is based in Noumea, New Caledonia. The Lifestyle Health
Section, part of the SPC's Community Health Programme, coordinates the
noncommunicable diseases programme, diabetes being one of its major
concerns. The Section focuses on preventive and educational strategies
to address lifestyle health problems while being mindful of the need
to tailor these to individual countries. Its long-term goal is to improve
and promote better lifestyle health of pacific people with an emphasis
on building the capacities of regional indigenous health workers.

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