Congress of German Society of Diabetes opens in Berlin

The fourth autumn Congress of the German Society of Diabetes and the 26^th annual Congress of the German Society of Adiposity began at the International Congress Centre (ICC) in Berlin November 4.

Organizers of the joint congress expect over three thousand participants to attend the event which will showcase recent developments in research and treatment of the disease.

The tradition of holding the congresses together has since established itself over the years because the two topics are linked. Patients with Adiposity has much higher risk to develop diabetes than non-adiposity patients.

Addressing a press conference on the topic “National Diabetes Strategy – How do we Improve the Care of Patients in Germany”, Professor Thomas Danne, president of the German Society of Diabetes observed that it is becoming clear that the health system alone could not come to grips with the diabetes epidemic.

He called for support from the general public as a whole in the form of a national strategy which would consider the interests of patients, doctors, scientists, citizens and advisors.

Professor Danne said until only 13 out of the 27 member countries of the European Union have come out with national diabetes action plan. Germany, he observed, is yet to come out with such a plan.

He called on the Federal Government in Germany to develop a national Diabetes Strategy.

He said in Holland, the health ministry in that country has since adopted a national Diabetes Plan with five main strategic parts, namely, diabetes prevention, strengthening the role of patients, quality management, Organisation and transfer of knowledge.

The other parts are resource and cost management as well as information technology.

Speaking on Food Labeling and Nutrition-based Prevention of Adiposity, Dr Stefanie Gerlach, Head of the Health Policy Department of diabetesDE revealed that at the moment every third German citizen is overweight which was a danger to their health.

The conflict over the adoption of a suitable labelling of nutrition value -the traffic light system or GDA labelling – on food packaging in spring and summer of this year, following the adoption of the GDA system by the European Parliament pre-occupied media discussions.

She will prefer the traffic light system because, in her view, that was likely to be better understood by consumers.

Dr Gerlach said her association diabetesDe together with the other specialised institutions, consumer and health associations believe the European Parliament`s adopted GDA Regulation was useless because it does not provide understandable information to ordinary citizens and customers.

Adiposity, she stressed, was responsible for the reduction in the quality of life, it also leads to other diseases such as diabetes which is linked to a reduction in life expectancy especially with regard to massive overweight.

Among the items on the scientific programme at the conference which ends November 7, include Diabetes and realities of care 2010 as well as Genetics of Adiposity.

C. Musah, ANA Health Editor