Our Vision & Mission
Our vision is of a world where the meaningful engagement of people with lived experience of diabetes is a non-negotiable part of research, policy development, and decision-making.
To do this, we connect, advocate, partner with, and support people living with the condition all over the world. By uniting as a global movement, we put lived experience front and centre — keeping diabetes high on public health agendas, ending double standards of care, and building a world where every person in our community is empowered to live well.
How we got here
Every movement has to start somewhere.
For us, that starting point was a question asked by our founder, James Elliott, on LinkedIn: Were other people living with diabetes and working in global health — and did they want to connect?
The response was a resounding “yes”.
Within weeks, the first-ever meeting of Voices in Action: People Living with Diabetes in Global Health went live. Another one followed a few months later. Then another. And another.
From connection to collective action
What started as a conversation quickly became a community.
As that community grew, so did the organization behind it. In July 2025, VIA Diabetes was registered as a Canadian nonprofit, founded by James Elliott and co-founded by Lucía Feito Allonca — two experienced global health professionals. Today, our work is supported by a committed Board of Directors and a Strategic Committee of diabetes leaders and advocates from around the world.
Be part of it
VIA Diabetes isn’t just another NGO. We are a global community led by — and for — people living with diabetes. We believe that the meaningful engagement of people with lived experience is a non-negotiable part of diabetes research, policy development, and decision-making.
Together we are making sure those voices are heard.