Using Shiffman's political priority model for future diabetes advocacy

Abstract

Securing political priority for diabetes has long been an issue for the global diabetes community. We have seen a ‘diabetes paradox’ on the international agenda; while the disease is epidemic in scale, constitutes a vast economic burden and leads to more deaths than AIDs and malaria combined, it has not commanded political attention or sufficient resources on the global stage. However, the recent focus on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) has meant global health priorities are finally realigning with the reality of the burden of disease. IDF has led the campaign to address the chronic neglect of diabetes; after gaining political recognition that diabetes is a “chronic, debilitating and costly disease” with the 2006 UN Resolution on diabetes [ [1] UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/61/225, World Diabetes Day, 2006. Google Scholar ], IDF secured international political action with the UN Summit on NCDs in 2011. Despite taking diabetes to the highest global forum, however, political prioritisation of diabetes has yet to be fully realised – the disease remains underfunded and there is no widespread outrage about the extent of diabetes and the suffering caused. The complexity and idiosyncrasy of the global health agenda has attracted academic attention. To better assess the diabetes position and frame IDF's post-Summit advocacy priorities, this editorial looks at Shiffman's analysis of the features of a health issue that attract political priority on the global health agenda [ [2] Shiffman J. Smith S. Generation of political priority for global health initiatives: a framework and case study of maternal mortality. Lancet. 2007; 370: 1370-1379 Abstract Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (429) Google Scholar ].