IAPO member CUI.D.AR supercharge their advocacy efforts for Type 1 Diabetes

The Association for Diabetes Care in Argentina, CUI.D.AR, together with a group of children and young adults with type 1 diabetes, met with the Argentinian Minister of Health, Dr. Adolfo Rubinstein, and members of Congress Nicolás Massot and Carmen Polledo and the National Senator Esteban Bullrich. They took this opportunity to give a first hand overview of  the needs that people with diabetes face and expressed the need and importance of having full access to the newest technologies, insulins and other supplies for managing type 1 diabetes. Pilar Arrossagaray of CUI.D.AR shares the outcome of this meeting .

 As a result of having the Argentinian health ministry meet and listen to children and young adults with diabetes type 1, CUI.D.AR believe they are now in a better position to make policies in favour of people living with this chronic disease as at the moment, this access is not available in Argentina. Additionally, they committed to raising more social awareness about this disease unknown many. This way, we believe we could, influence public policy, by achieving to talk with national authorities from the Ministry of Health and from the Congress that listened to children and young people living with type 1 diabetes talk about their needs with solid and experiential arguments, in first person.

CUI.D.AR, a non-profit civil association that works in favour of children, teenagers, young people and adults that live with diabetes and was created thanks to the initiative of parents of children with this chronic condition.They develop educational and informative activities and offer emotional support, both for children and adults with diabetes, for their family, school and social environment, to minimize the impact of diabetes in people’s lives.This is based on their mission of improving the quality of life of people that live with diabetes, and their vision of being the organisation with the largest recognition because of its function and social contribution.

Type 1 diabetes in particular is a chronic disease characterized by the total lack of insulin production and, consequently, an increase in blood glucose levels above normal limits, which occurs at an early age. After diagnosis, children need to control their blood sugar with finger pricks five, six, seven or even more times each day, and injecting insulin between three, four, five or even more times each day, for an entire life.  They count carbohydrates, they control exactly every “bite” they ingest, they have to do physical activity regularly and learn to solve emergency situations.  This life condition demands a lot of control and meticulous, constant and permanent care in order to minimize the severe complications that type 1 diabetes could cause in their lives. Because of this, it is fundamental to carry out an active labour of advocacy, to generate awareness among those in authority and in society in general.