The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is the global advocate for the 250 million people with diabetes worldwide as well as their families and healthcare providers. It represents more than 200 diabetes associations in over 160 countries. The Federation is a non-governmental organization in official relations with the World Health Organization and is associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations. IDF leads the World Diabetes Day and Unite for Diabetes campaigns. 

The mission of IDF is “to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide”, a statement of intent that addresses the challenges facing the global diabetes community in the 21st century.

Care
The core activity of IDF remains the promotion of the best possible care for anyone who lives with diabetes. IDF works in close collaboration with its member associations to increase access to and improve the quality of care that is currently available for people with diabetes. 

Prevention
Prevention is the only realistic way to slow the rate at which diabetes is increasing and to lessen the impact of diabetes upon the quality of life of those currently living with the disease. IDF encourages the implementation of prevention programmes to reduce the risk of diabetes for the general population and to reduce the risk of complications in people living with diabetes. 

Cure
While IDF does not support research directly, through awareness and education it encourages the efforts of those who seek to further understand the causes of diabetes and of those whose aim it is to find a cure. 

IDF activities
IDF activities include advocacy and lobbying work, education for people with diabetes and their healthcare providers, public awareness and health improvement campaigns, as well as the promotion of the free exchange of diabetes knowledge. A few examples include:

• World Diabetes Day, the primary awareness campaign of the diabetes world, now a United Nations World Day;
• World Diabetes Congress, a unique and international forum to discuss a wide range of diabetes-related topics.
• United Nations Resolution 61/225: World Diabetes Day, as a result of the successful Unite for Diabetes campaign;
• IDF Task Forces’ efforts on specific issues such as access to insulin, epidemiology, prevention, diabetes foot care, diabetes in children, guidelines for diabetes care and the economics of diabetes care;
• IDF serial and non-serial publications, including the Diabetes Atlas (global prevalence data) and Diabetes Voice (magazine);
• B.R.I.D.G.E.S, a grant programme which supports translational research projects in diabetes prevention and treatment globally.

For more information about the International Diabetes Federation, visit www.idf.org