Contributions and key insights from ACBRD researchers
By Eloise Litterbach, Meaghan Read, Emmanuel Ekpor, and Sarah Manallack
The Global End Diabetes Stigma Summit was held in Jaipur, India from 28–29 March. It brought together people with lived experience of diabetes, researchers, healthcare professionals, and advocates from around the world. The Summit focused on sharing evidence, amplifying lived experience, and identifying actions to bring an end to diabetes stigma.
We are so proud that the ACBRD was a Visionary Partner (alongside Breakthrough T1D) co-leading the Summit, supported by an international Steering Committee and Summit Partners and Sponsors. The Summit was also a valuable opportunity for our team to learn and share.
Seven ACBRD team members attended the Summit. We shared digital posters and videos, took part in panels, and facilitated sessions. We met collaborators from around the world. We heard how stigma directly affects people with diabetes and their communities. We formed new connections and friendships.
Below, some of our team share their contributions, reflections and key takeaways.
“Attending the Summit was both profoundly moving and intellectually enriching. Hearing consistent, deeply personal accounts of stigma across diverse cultural contexts reinforced how pervasive and harmful diabetes stigma remains, particularly within healthcare settings. At the same time, the Summit fostered a powerful sense of collective purpose, bringing people together to share innovative, community-driven solutions. As a nurse and diabetes stigma researcher, I was honoured to present findings from my systematic review on experiences of type 2 diabetes stigma in healthcare through a digital contribution, and to engage in a panel discussion on this critical issue. Throughout the Summit, it became clear that many of the drivers of stigma are potentially modifiable. That means meaningful change is not only necessary, but possible. This leaves me feeling both hopeful and motivated to continue this work alongside a global community committed to ending diabetes stigma and improving diabetes healthcare.”
Emmanuel Ekpor, Graduate Researcher
“The Summit was amazing! I was moved beyond words to meet attendees and learn from their stories and lived experiences. The advocacy on diabetes stigma and community-led work across the globe is innovative and inspirational. I was proud to share my PhD research exploring how T2D stigma and its impacts vary by age and gender. I left the Summit feeling energised in our shared vision to end diabetes stigma.”
Sarah Manallack, Graduate Researcher
“What a brilliant experience the summit was! Whilst the topic/s of diabetes stigma were heavy, the passion to end diabetes stigma made the room feel electric. I came away feeling inspired by the creative steps already being taken on this journey and empowered to take small and large steps in both my professional and personal life to ensure that diabetes stigma is stopped. Whilst there is a gigantic and global task ahead, the summit filled me with confidence that together, we can and will end diabetes stigma.
The summit also gave me the opportunity to share my lived experience of diabetes stigma which focussed on the problems with using the term ‘prevention’ when talking about diabetes complications.”
Meaghan Read, Community Engagement Coordinator
“The summit was a powerful exhibition of bringing together international expertise and experiences of diabetes stigma and its devastating impacts as well as bright ideas for moving forward to end diabetes stigma. It was heartbreaking to hear so many similar stories of diabetes stigma and discrimination, stretching across cultures and contexts. In the same breath, it was thrilling to see the positivity and motivation for collaborative action toward ending diabetes stigma. Together, we can and will.
To address diabetes stigma, we need to listen to community needs. I shared a scientific digital contribution based on our research exploring lived experience perspectives on what is needed to bring an end to diabetes stigma.”
Eloise Litterbach, Research Fellow
Across these reflections, common themes were:
-
-
- Strength in collective voice: Diabetes stigma is experienced widely across cultures and settings. When more diverse voices speak up, our collective voice becomes stronger and more powerful. Together, we can raise awareness, influence practice, and advocate for change.
- Lived experience drives understanding and action: First-hand accounts of stigma are central to shaping research, informing practice, and guiding solutions. Listening to lived experience is essential to developing meaningful and relevant responses to stigma. The Global Summit recognised lived experience expertise and leadership.
- Small steps forward sustain hope and motivate further action: Despite the weight of stigma, contributors describe a strong sense of hope. Seeing evidence of impact and possibility makes change feel achievable. This helps sustain motivation and drives continued action.
- Deep sense of shared commitment: Across the ACBRD team and the global community, there is a clear and growing commitment to ending diabetes stigma. This shared purpose connects lived experience, research, and advocacy, supporting ongoing efforts to improve the lives of people living with and at risk of diabetes.
-
The ACBRD is proud to be part of the #EndDiabetesStigma movement. We believe that a world without stigma can improve the health and quality of life of people living with and at risk of diabetes. We remain committed to advancing this work through research, collaboration, and community involvement; driven by our beliefs, our actions, and our shared purpose.
For more on the Summit and reflections from Summit co-leads Jane Speight and Liz Holmes-Truscott, read our linked blog.
A full list of the ACBRD’s 20 digital contributions is provided below. Further details are available on the global End Diabetes Stigma webpage.
Two lived experience STORYTELLING contributions:
ABS0056 – A Robinson. Do you see me, or do you see diabetes? A lived experience reflection on assumptions in healthcare
ABS0023 – M Read. We’ve been sold a lie – my experience of stigma associated with diabetes complications
Seven SCIENTIFIC contributions:
ABS003 – E Ekpor, S Manallack, M Garza, J Speight, E Holmes-Truscott. Experience of type 2 diabetes stigma in healthcare settings: A systematic review of qualitative studies
ABS0027 – S Power, E Holmes-Truscott, P Divilly, F Pouwer, S Deschênes. Diabetes Stigma and Its Associations with General and Diabetes-Specific Wellbeing: Moderating Roles of Psychosocial Factors
ABS0044 – S Manallack, J Speight, D Turnbull, F Pouwer, E Holmes-Truscott. Diabetes and weight stigmas are more common among women and younger adults with type 2 diabetes: Results from the second Diabetes MILES – Australia (MILES-2) Study
ABS0048 – E Holmes-Truscott, E Litterbach, V Hagger, R Scibilia, U Søholm, T Skinner, J Speight. Raising awareness to end diabetes stigma: a cross-sectional mixed-methods evaluation of Australian diabetes communication campaign videos among adults with and without diabetes
ABS0050 – E Litterbach, J Jordan, L Klinker, R Scibilia, V Hagger, U Søholm, T Skinner, J Speight, E Holmes-Truscott. “Building supportive communities where individuals with diabetes feel understood & accepted”: Addressing type 1 and type 2 diabetes stigma in Australia
ABS0067 –L Klinker, A Schmitt, E Litterbach, E Holmes-Truscott, J Speight, G Lehmann, D Ehrmann, B Kulzer, N Hermanns. Exploring the Relationship Between Diabetes Stigma and Eating Problems among Adults With Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
ABS0115 – M Hadjiconstantinou, J Hagan, J Speight, M Davies. Stigma associated with Early-onset Type 2 Diabetes: a secondary qualitative analysis
Three IMPACT contributions
ABS0022 – A Ng, K Tunks Leach, E Holmes-Truscott, G Murfet, T Levett-Jones. ‘Can you feel what I feel?’: A lesson in empathic diabetes care to healthcare professionals
ABS0055 – E Holmes-Truscott, E Ekpor, E Litterbach, R Scibilia, P Kar, J Dickinson, S Guzman, M Garza, M Asaad, M Barone, C Selvan, T Lathia, J Sethi, A McInerney, P Senior, T Skinner, J Speight. Mapping the international diabetes #LanguageMatters movement: development, scope, adoption, implementation and future directions
ABS0059 –D Minniecon, F Kelly, G Ward, E Holmes-Truscott. Development of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander NDSS diabetes stigma and discrimination online learning module
Eight PERSPECTIVE contributions
ABS0045 – T Skinner, J Speight, E Holmes-Truscott. Subtypes of type 2 diabetes: what will be their impact on diabetes stigma?
ABS0083 – J Speight, E Holmes-Truscott, T Skinner. DiabetesStigmaWatch: Raising the standard of diabetes campaigns and media reports
ABS0084 – J Speight, E Holmes-Truscott, T Skinner, Michael Vallis. Benchmarking diabetes stigma, support and inclusivity: A framework for measuring progress
ABS0085 – J Speight, E Holmes-Truscott, T Skinner. Time to update our tools: A call for review of the language used in diabetes assessment tools
ABS0086 – J Speight, E Holmes-Truscott, C Lee, R Scibilia, T Skinner. Simple stories stick: Leading with empathy and equity when we communicate evidence
ABS0087– M Erwin, I Litterbach, E Litterbach. Diabetes stigma in the Australian Fire Services
ASB0088 – R Scibilia, J Speight, B Cleal, J Dickinson, J Sethi. War! What is it good for? The case for abandoning battle metaphors in diabetes communications
ABS0127 – E Holmes-Truscott, M Read, A Ng. From patients to experts: Harnessing lived-experience leadership while addressing language and stigma in research and health service improvement
Funding: The Global Summit to End Diabetes Stigma was made possible by Visionary Partners, the ACBRD and Breakthrough T1D and by numerous other Partners and Sponsors who believed in that vision and came together to make it a reality. They are all shown here. Most of the ACBRD’s contributions and travel costs were supported by the ACBRD’s core funding, derived from the collaboration between Diabetes Victoria and Deakin University.
