IMAGE Follow Up Meeting
The IMAGE Follow Up Meeting took place from November 5-8 2008 in Mallorca, Spain.
60 participants attended this meeting which marked the half time of the project duration. In a very motivated and positive working atmosphere the seven work packages met and discussed the drafts of the European Guideline, the training curriculum for prevention managers, the quality indicators and the E-health portal. After the meeting, the results will be summarized in the IMAGE intermediate report which will be submitted to the European Commission by the end of January 2009.
The next IMAGE plenary meeting is planned to take place from October 29-31 2009 in Lisbon, Portugal.
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IMAGE Kick off Convention
The IMAGE Kick off Convention took place from November 22-24, 2007 in Munich, Germany.
Sixty nine participants from various parts of Europe and beyond attended the meeting. Dr. Stephan van den Broucke – project officer at the Public Health Executive Agency (PHEA) - was also present.
In the afternoon of November 22nd the steering committee met to discuss the time schedule of the upcoming meeting and the planned presentations by each work package (WP) leader. The day was closed with a get-together - an introductory event with all participants.
On Friday November 23rd the Kick off Convention was officially opened by the project coordinator Dr. Peter Schwarz followed by a welcome address of Prof. Eberhard Standl – current president of IDF Europe. Thereafter, Dr. Stephan van den Broucke elaborated on the role of the PHEA for European research in general and for the IMAGE project in particular. Afterwards the work in each WP commenced. In workshops led by the respective WP leader a basic structure and content for future completion of the WP objectives was agreed on. Furthermore, the role and responsibilities of each partner within a certain WP were discussed and tasks subsequently appointed. Further action steps were determined and the dates for the next WP meeting(s) concluded. In between and at the end of the workshops plenary question & answer sessions were held by Dr. Stephan van den Broucke and Dr. Peter Schwarz, respectively. The day was concluded by a typical Bavarian dinner in a relaxed atmosphere with Bavarian music.
In the morning of Saturday, November 24th, the discussions of WPs 4, 5 & 7 were continued. Afterwards the Kick off meeting was officially closed by a plenary question & answer session. Finally, the steering committee gathered again to discuss the results of the Kick off meeting and to agree on the proceedings.
Resume: The Kick off meeting provided the foundation for an effective and straight forward completion of the IMAGE objectives.
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IMAGE Steering Committee Meeting
The first IMAGE Steering Committee Meeting took place on July 27-28, 2007 in Dresden, Germany.
During this meeting, the seven work package leaders who form the Steering Committee discussed the project’s timetable, work-flow and milestones, including preparation for the kick-off convention in November 2007. In addition, the internal and external communications strategy for the project was discussed and agreed.
After that meeting the lead partners started to organize their work packages to create the foundation for the work at the kick off convention. The final date for the kick of convention was confirmed for November 22-24, 2007.
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Official start of the IMAGE Project
On May 11, 2007 the Public Health Executive Agency (PHEA) officially signed the IMAGE grant agreement. Therefore the official start of the IMAGE project will be June 1, 2007.
The IMAGE project (Development and Implementation of a European Guideline and Training Standards for Diabetes Prevention) is set to improve the management and reduce the impact of type 2 diabetes across Europe. Effective and immediate primary prevention is essential to lower the burden of type 2 diabetes within the European Union. The three-year IMAGEproject will help to address this through the development of:
- European practice-oriented guidelines for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes
- A European curriculum for the training of prevention managers
- European standards for quality control in the assessment, monitoring and quality reporting of type 2 diabetes prevention
- A European e-health training portal.
IMAGE, led by Dr Peter Schwarz, TU Dresden and Professor Jaakko Tuomilehto, Helsingin yliopisto, Helsinki, is one of the largest public health projects to be granted funding by the European Commission 2006 Call for Proposals. Diabetes is set to increase by 21% in Europe from 53.2 million in 2007 to 64.1 million in 2025. In particular, the dramatic rise in type 2 diabetes, now increasingly being seen in younger people, has developed into a critical EU public health concern.
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