#T1DGlobal is a unique conference of the League of DiAthletes network, which shares a connected platform of international voices living with type 1 diabetes to provide a diverse insight into the world of diabetes while further hosting a “Question Time” styled panel with invited health professionals, patient & carers, advocates, industry leaders and political influencers in diabetes healthcare, to debate essential topics with altering perspectives.

The First T1D Global Conference, #T1DGlobal17 was held at the Old Royal Naval College in London’s Greenwich, 11th November 2017. 200 delegates attended with guest speaker Sana Ajmal from Pakistan sharing her journey of diabetes acceptance in facing levels of discrimination as a girl growing up with a serious medical condition, seen as unfit for marriage or motherhood, with a lack of general understanding about diabetes in the country, to becoming a qualified doctor, wife and mother. Officer Andy Wilson shared his journey of going on to protect the countries home of democracy in his daily security work at the Palace of Westminster while living with type 1 diabetes. After the conference, the LOD team who formed the first T1D Global Panel, Sana (Pakistan), Paula & Dani (Costa Rica), Lucas (USA), Fred (Ghana), Nikki (Australia), Naty (Brazil) and Mohammad (Kuwait) attended the Palace of Westminster for a private tour.

In 2018, the 2nd T1D Global conference #T1DGlobal18 was held again in Greenwich. Dr Partha Kar, Dr Rob Andrews, Francesca Annan & Katarzyna Gajewska connected in a healthcare professional panel with a connected parents perspective where Angela Griffiths joined the panel. The Global Panel connected in with LOD’s Global Training delegation with ‘DiAdvocates’ from Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Greece, India, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan & Romania forming the Global Panel.

In 2019, the Conference went overseas from UK for the first time, held in San Jose, Costa Rica. #T1DGlobal19 is the largest patient held event in diabetes care that the country has ever received with over 300 delegates attending, where the LOD DiAdvocates taking on the LOD Global Challenge collaborated to form the Global Panel and operated sessions for attending children, with a Costa Rican Diabetes Healthcare Professional panel, and keynote talk from Mohammad Al Bahar.

#T1DGlobal20 was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020, following the virtual LOD Global Training during ISPAD. The virtual symposium held a T1D Advocates Panel, Connected Organisations Panel and keynote talk from Pakistan actress Zeba Bahktiar. Stay tuned for #T1DGlobal21 next year!