Meet Elizabeth Rowley, an advocate focused on changing the world of diabetics

Elizabeth Rowley, Global Diabetes Advocate, Founder t1international 

Recently, Travel Army connected with Elizabeth Rowley in the UK. She is the founder of T1international, an organization raising awareness on Diabetes and providing Insulin Access across the world.

She is a devoted Volunteer worker who is also the Regional Fundraiser for JDRF UK. She has also had roles with the Diabetes UK as a Legal Executive, The Challenge Network as School coordinator, Patrick Ryan & Associates,LLC as a Staff Writer and Special Projects Research Specialist, Save the Children UK as a Speaking Out Coordinator.                      

Here are excerpts from the interview:

Travel Army: Can we meet you?

Guest: I am Elizabeth Rowley. I have lived with Type 1 diabetes for over 20 years. Early on, I found my passions of education and humanitarian work, which led me to London, where I received a Master’s Degree in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In 2013 I started www.t1international.com and I work at JDRF UK in London. Through my job, my blog, and other outlets, I am determined to share the voices of the many people with diabetes who struggle due to lack of supplies, care, treatment, and education.​ I am hopeful that we can change the system to make life with diabetes better for everyone worldwide.

Travel Army: Tell us about your organisation?

Elizabeth Rowley: ​T1International's aim is ​to raise awareness about the challenges of life with Type 1 diabetes in resource-poor settings around the globe. We advocate for adequate access to insulin, diabetes supplies, medical care and education for all people living with Type 1 diabetes, no matter where they live. Life with diabetes is complicated. Access to vital insulin, diabetes supplies and medical care should not be.​ On the website we have a lot of information and resources about life with diabetes worldwide and we aim to raise awareness of the issues while inspiring people to take action and find solutions.​

Travel Army: What prompted the establishment?

Elizabeth Rowley: While completing my International Development degree I started to look for information and resources about access to insulin and how people with diabetes cope during humanitarian emergencies, conflict and crises. I could not find very much information on these topics so I decided to start my own web site where I could compile everything I found while also doing more research and sharing more stories.

Travel Army: How can the world benefit from your organisation?

Elizabeth Rowley: I hope that people with diabetes worldwide will benefit from T1International’s awareness-raising and solutions-focused work. There are no clear answers as to how to ensure that everyone can access their medicine and care, but there is an obvious need to collaborate and create systemic change in governments and health systems so that everyone with diabetes can have a chance at a healthy life. I hope that T1International’s work can be part of that movement towards change.

Travel Army: What is your relationship with other NGO's. Are there any particular ones you work with?

Elizabeth Rowley: I am currently working with with The Pendsey Trust on the #insulin4all World Diabetes Day initiative that I will describe below. The Pendsey Trust supports children with Type 1 diabetes in India by putting them through vocational and educational programs so that they can sustainably support themselves and their diabetes costs.

There is also the 100 Campaign, pushing for 100% access to insulin by 2022, 100 years after insulin was first made available for use in humans. Organisations like Sucre Blue,Marjorie’s Fund, CLAN, AYUDA, Nigeria Diabetes Online Community, Insulin for Life, Diabetes Youth Care are all doing great things for people with diabetes and other conditions worldwide. We try to support each other and collaborate whenever possible.

Travel Army: What are your major challenges on the field?

Elizabeth Rowley: There are several challenges but because diabetes is a complex condition, it is tricky to get people to understand the condition first and the need for vital medicine and supplies. We try to simplify things where possible but do not want to create misunderstandings or misconceptions. There are also many different interests at play when it comes to fighting for access to supplies and education for people with diabetes. Politics and holes in health systems in certain countries can make life of diabetics very difficult.

Travel Army: What can the readers of this article do to contribute to #Insuline4all? 

Elizabeth Rowley: You can do something right now by visiting www.insulin4all.tumblr.com and submitting a photo in support of our “Put the WORLD back in World Diabetes Day - #insulin4all” initiative. We aren’t asking for money – we just need support to raise awareness about these issues and get the conversation going.

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on 14thNovember, but oftentimes people in many parts of the world are left out of this day because they are still struggling to access the basics like insulin, test strips, and diabetes education. That’s why we want to put the world back in World Diabetes Day. We already have over 50 submissions and we want to get as many as possible so that the world will make these issues a priority and fight for access to medicine for people everywhere.

We look forward to your submission.

Travel Army: Thank you for your time and the enlightenment
Elizabeth: My pleasure
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So that was it from Elizabeth. Show your support for people living with diabetics today, submit your photo at www.insulin4all.tumblr.com and encourage your friends to do too. I just submitted mine.

Traveling and Diabetes

As the World Diabetes day approaches November 14, we are urged to stay free from activities or edibles that can affect our health status.

Sound health is an important factor when it comes to migration and traveling, This has led Travel Army to connect with experienced personnel like physicians and NGO's on global diabetes issues to shed light on Traveling and Diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition where the amount of glucose in someone's blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly.

Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes : Once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. It is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces no insulin, a hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. It occurs most frequently in children and young adults, although it can occur at any age.

Type 2 diabetes: Once known as adult-onset or non-insulin-dependent diabetes. Unlike Type 1 diabetes, the bodies of people with type 2 diabetes make insulin but either their pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body cannot use the insulin well enough. This is called insulin resistance

Common Symptoms
Frequent urination, Excessive thirst,Increased hunger,Weight loss,Tiredness,Lack of interest and concentration, a tingling sensation or numbness in the hands or feet, blurred vision.                  

Traveling and Diabetes
If you have diabetes, preparing for even daily activities can require advanced planning. So how do you prepare for travel, which can disrupt your diabetes care routine?

Here are 10 tips for traveling when you have diabetes.
1 -- Keep your supplies close at hand.Whether you’re traveling by plane, train, or automobile, make sure your diabetes supplies are easily accessible. Back-up insulin should also be kept in your carry-on, because checked baggage can be exposed to extreme cold or heat that can spoil insulin, and ruin glucometers.

2 – Try to stick to your routine. Traveling can really throw people with diabetes off schedule, and at no fault of their own. if you’re traveling out of your time zone, think ahead and stick to your routine as much as possible.

3 -- Get documentation. Carry a note from your doctor stating that you have diabetes, and need to have your medication with you at all times. If you’re going to a country where they speak a language other than your own, translate the note into that language.

4 -- Inform airport security you have diabetes. When flying, remember to put your diabetes supplies in a quart size plastic container that is separate from the other non-diabetes liquids you’re bringing on board; this way, screeners can immediately separate diabetes medications from other liquid items in your carry-on baggage. Sometimes it is helpful to carry your insulin bottles or pens in their original packaging to prove the prescription is your own. Lastly, always check out the Transportation Safety Administration’s website.

5 -- Always be prepared to treat low glucose. When you travel, you may disrupt your normal routine for both eating and dosing insulin; you may also be sightseeing or increasing your physical activity in general. Because of these changes, you need to be prepared for low glucose whenever it strikes, so pack plenty of glucose tablets—these are usually the best because they won’t melt, explode in heat, or leak and become sticky.

6 -- Investigate the food you eat. "If you take mealtime insulin, do your best to figure out the carbohydrate grams in the foods you’re eating so that you take the right pre-meal insulin".  It's crucial to keep your glucose numbers in check to avoid problems.

7 -- Increase your stash of supplies.  Pack diabetes supplies more than your needs. Remember to bring extra supplies.

8 -- Consider time zone changes. If you’re wearing an insulin pump and will be traveling to a location that is in another time zone, be sure to adjust your insulin pump’s clock to reflect the change.

9 -- Test your blood sugar. Travel can have all sorts of effects on diabetes management. You are likely to sit for long, this lack of activity may prompt your blood glucose levels to become elevated; conversely, sightseeing and other physical activity may lower glucose. Because of the changes in your schedule, it is very important to test glucose before and after meals.

10-- Tell others that you have diabetes. Let them know what you have to do to stay healthy and active on your journey, and what they should do in case there is an emergency. Always wear a medical identification bracelet when you’re traveling and be certain that it states you have diabetes, if you take insulin, and if possible, list an emergency contact number.

Curled from: www.joslin.org