Sarah to co-chair EU diabetes group

3.55.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Sep 2009

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford has been made a co-chair of the European Parliament's cross-party Diabetes Working Group, having been active in it for a number of years. The group is supported by the International Diabetes Federation Europe which groups dozens of national diabetes organisations including Diabetes UK.

Sarah has a family connection in that her husband Steve Hitchins has had diabetes for 40 years and is chair of the UK branch of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation which exists to find the cure for type 1 diabetes and its complications. She commented:

"It is an honour to take up this role in the European Parliament and help progress EU action on research and encouragement of best practice in treatment to assist the 30 million Europeans affected by type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as their families. Countries with the highest incidence of diabetes are predominantly European and it is rising fast, so there is a responsibility on us in Europe to take a lead."

"I am carrying on something of a London tradition as my predecessor is my regional colleague, the former Conservative MEP and health minister John Bowis. It will be hard to follow in his distinguished footsteps but I will do my best to help raise the European profile of work to combat the very serious challenge of diabetes, in the hope of major breakthroughs in years to come."

"The first event of the EP diabetes working group will be to host an event to mark World Diabetes Day in November, this year on the theme of diabetes and education. The last 2 years' very successful events in Strasbourg on the theme of diabetes and young people showed that with access to modern care there is no reason not to achieve schooling, career and sporting goals."

ENDS