The Polish Diabetes Association was established by a grassroots initiative of patients on 19 June 1981, in very difficult times. At that time, there was nothing for people with diabetes: no medicines, no educational materials, no specialists, not to mention the possibility of nutrition appropriate to the condition. Patients decided to take matters into their own hands and unite for their own good. And they succeeded. Here we are today, forty years later, the organisation founded then still exists and is one of the largest in Poland. It has almost 60 000 members (people with diabetes and their relatives) in some 350 branches and circles throughout the country.
Over the years, the association has been extremely instrumental in providing patients with the appropriate equipment necessary for glucose monitoring and insulin administration. Back in the 1980s, a model of a semi-automatic insulin injector was developed thanks to the Association. After the political changes in Poland, when Western pharmaceutical companies began to enter the market, the association played a key role in distributing the necessary equipment to patients and pushing for better and better reimbursement solutions. Thanks to the efforts of the association's activists, diabetes treatment in Poland began to catch up with Western standards in some aspects. Soon after the transformation, previously unavailable human insulins appeared on the market, which could also be administered with a convenient and precise injector, the so-called "pen". Glucometers, which in the 1980s were in the realm of dreams, in the mid-1990s became common equipment for every diabetic. The Association carried out intensive educational activities, publishing books, brochures and a national monthly magazine on diabetes (still in existence today).
In the mid-1990s, the situation of diabetics improved noticeably. One even began to wonder whether such an organisation as the Polish Diabetes Association was still needed. It soon became apparent that new needs and problems were replacing the old ones. The number of patients with diabetes is constantly increasing, the disease is being diagnosed in increasingly younger age groups, new drugs and equipment for the treatment of diabetes are appearing all the time, and reimbursement solutions are not keeping pace with technological developments, which causes much frustration among patients. There is a constant need for education, not only of the patients themselves and their carers, but also for prevention education to prevent people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes - an epidemic of the 21st century
Today's reality is, of course, very different from that of a few decades ago, so the aims and mission of the Polish Diabetes Association are also different, although some aspects remain the same. Our statutory activities today basically cover three major areas - says Anna Sliwinska, President of the Association. direct, wide-ranging support for people with diabetes and their relatives, especially in the field of diabetes education, as well as integration of the community and counteracting social exclusion; striving for the best possible conditions for treating diabetes in Poland; spreading diabetes awareness in society, since we have almost 3 million people with diabetes in the country, and even 1 million who do not know that they have the disease and 5 million who are at risk of the disease. There is definitely something to do!
An organisation with a mission to improve the quality of life of Polish patients
The activities of the Polish Diabetes Association are based on the community work of volunteers throughout the country. They are wonderful people - emphasises President Anna Sliwinska - They have the strength, enthusiasm, willingness and determination to create and develop an organisation of patients who extend a helping hand to other people despite their own problems. There are tens of thousands of people benefiting from this help every year. On a 40-year scale - millions! The activities of volunteers are recognised and appreciated in their regions. Many have been honoured with high state awards for their voluntary work. Many are also the first point of contact for patients in various types of crises, especially where access to specialised care is difficult.
The association's dense network of almost 350 branches and circles tightly covers the whole of Poland, not only the larger cities, but also smaller towns and some villages. This definitely sets the organisation apart from its peers. Although it is not easy nowadays to find "enthusiasts" for social work, new field units are being set up all the time. ZI encourage people with diabetes and their relatives to join our association - says President Anna Sliwinska - We offer a variety of support: from diabetes education to integration, rehabilitation, recreation and self-help group support. No one has to be alone in their illness.
We invite you to watch a special video produced on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Polish Diabetes Association: