Context & key figures
In France, the prevalence of diabetes rose from 4.6% in 2012 to 5.3% in 2020, affecting over 3.5 million people.
Diabetes is more prevalent in French overseas departments, where prevalence is twice the national average. In mainland France, the Nord and Nord-Est regions and certain Île-de-France departments are particularly affected, while Brittany has lower rates.
The most socio-economically disadvantaged populations and certain socio-professional categories are more affected, with a higher prevalence among women of North African origin. In addition, 1.7% of people with diabetes remain undiagnosed, underscoring the importance of screening and prevention.
The role of the French headquarters
The head office of Santé Diabète in Grenoble ensures the overall coherence of our general strategy with the various field delegations in Africa, but also in France, where we have been carrying out various pilot actions since 2011.
The headquarters provides structure for all our missions, covering administrative, human resources, technical, and financial aspects.
It also coordinates our advocacyAt the national and international levels, to influence institutions and public policies for better consideration of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in both the Global North and South.
Our action in France
In France, the association’s activities have raised awareness among tens of thousands of people and are organized around the following three main areas:
The organization of conferences, exhibitions, debates screenings
Awareness-raising targeting the population of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on diabetes and ways to prevent it, as well as fostering a better understanding of diabetes-related issues in Africa, notably through school activities that provide a comparative perspective on lifestyle changes in the Global North and South and their impact on health.
Sharing expertise developed in the Global South, particularly through adapting therapeutic education and prevention tools for the French public (animated film What is Diabetes?, board game Nutriquizz, booklet A Day with Ami & Bouba, etc.).
A health and international solidarity awareness activity carried out in schools in Grenoble.
A workshop on balanced nutrition and cooking with unaccompanied minors, conducted in collaboration with the association Cuisine Sans Frontière.
Results achieved between 2020 and 2023
- Organization of activities in schools in Ouagadougou and Grenoble: diabetes risk factor prevention activities were conducted between students from schools in Grenoble and Ouagadougou, benefiting 400 students through this intercultural exchange.
- Organization of prevention activities and awareness of risk factors targeting adults in professional reintegration programs and unaccompanied minors.
- Celebration of World Diabetes Day in France in collaboration with local stakeholders.
- Two organizations in the Alpine region have benefited from access to and support for using prevention tools developed in the Global South, aimed at patients of Sub-Saharan African origin.
- Organization of a Francophone diabetes expert meeting in Grenoble, which brought together more than 50 partners from seven Francophone countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Comoros, Canada, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland) involved with Santé Diabète in the fight against diabetes, including institutional partners, healthcare professionals, researchers, patient associations, civil society organizations, and technical and financial partners.
- On January 25, 2023, an international conference titled "Integrating Prevention and Care: Diabetes/Tuberculosis and Diabetes/HIV to Strengthen Health Systems" was held in Paris, co-organized by Santé Diabète, the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), and the AFD Group (Agence Française de Développement), including Expertise France/L’Initiative.
The 2023–2026 program will also aim to strengthen the use of expertise developed in the Global South in the North. This will be achieved through the development of a dedicated advocacy hub at Santé Diabète’s headquarters, which will enhance advocacy efforts in France and internationally to promote better access to prevention and care while defending the rights of people living with diabetes.
A local territorial anchorage in France
Our organization also draws its legitimacy and strength from its deep roots in local dynamics—in Grenoble, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and cross-border areas—particularly through collaborations with the University and hospitals of Geneva. These roots are essential, providing the foundation to make our organization more effective in driving change, achieving results, and pursuing its missions. By drawing on practices and experiences from diverse geographic and cultural contexts, we can build bridges and connections, combat discrimination, educate for global citizenship, and act to address the triple challenge of health, nutrition, and production. This capacity will allow us to create a true territorial laboratory along the Alpine corridor with Grenoble-based institutions, structures across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (such as the CH Métropole Savoie), and Geneva (Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva). The aim is to work collaboratively on shared issues—Nutrition, Health, and Environment—both in the North and the South.
Achieving these objectives will involve :
- A prevention program from the North to the South, consisting of 15 sessions, intended for students from primary schools in Grenoble, France, addressing good health behaviors in schools while deconstructing representations and prejudices about food and modern Africa. For half of the classes, an exchange will be organized with classes and students from Ouagadougou schools in Burkina Faso who are facing the same health issues.
- A prevention program which will raise awareness among a targeted audience of Sub-Saharan African origin on diabetes risk factors and promote healthy eating habits.
- Raise public awareness about diabetes in both the Global North and South, about its risk factors and prevention methods through public events, student-focused activities, partner association initiatives, and a photographic exhibition.
- The identification of healthcare facilities and professionals (hospitals, Azalées nurse networks, municipal health centers, etc.) willing to develop initiatives targeting populations and patients of Sub-Saharan African origin. Santé Diabète will offer the sharing of tools developed in the Global South, support in the methodology for using these tools, and the organization of international conferences on diabetes-related issues in Africa.
In France, this program is supported by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Grenoble City Council.
Testimony
Pascale Trouve
Math teacher for allophone students in Grenoble (Lycées Mounier and Jean Jaurès)
"I noticed that the students in my classes (mostly unaccompanied minors from Sub-Saharan Africa) had limited knowledge about nutrition and ate the same foods repeatedly (starchy foods, fast food, etc.)."
I therefore reached out to Santé Diabète to set up a project aimed at raising their awareness of the importance of a balanced diet for health. This workshop allowed them, in a very concrete way, to make connections between the eating habits of their home countries and those they encountered in France, while also understanding what diabetes is and how to prevent it.
