National diabetes plans in Europe

Many countries in Europe have introduced national plans addressing diabetes specifically (national diabetes plans, NDPs) or as part of broader non-communicable disease (NCD) strategies. Data on national diabetes plans in 22 European countries was collected as part of JA-CHRODIS. National diabetes plans typically take a broad approach, capturing prevention and treatment and seeking to place the patient at the centre. Most of the NDPs focused on diabetes broadly, covering type 1 and 2 diabetes, along with gestational diabetes. Most countries with a dedicated NDP in place target the whole population. NDPs typically include prevention, early diagnosis, routine care and services, and patient education in all countries although respondents in some countries noted that specific aspects might be covered under other national-level plans or strategies. Making diabetes or NCDs more broadly a political priority was critical to the development and implementation of NDPs, and learning from experience through monitoring and evaluation as well as transnational learning was found to help inform NDP development and implementation.