T1International is excited to announce the expansion of our USA work to address the insulin price crisis in America. Thanks to a grant from the Arnold Ventures, we have brought on board a US Program Manager consultant to help us build our grassroots State Chapters and give people with type 1 diabetes a stronger presence in policy-making.

The T1International #insulin4all Chapter model began in 2018, with the Kentucky-Ohio-Indiana (KOI) Chapter leading the way. We now have 17 Chapters representing 20 states, with more Chapters starting up regularly. Patient advocates in Chapters across the US have already achieved wins. To name a few, patients have gained media coverage, educated the public and politicians, and secured commitments to ensure more price transparency and, ultimately, lower insulin costs.

T1International is pleased to welcome consultant Teodorina (Teo) Lessidrenska to the team. Teo has been living with type 1 diabetes for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in development activism. She has led programs and teams on national, regional and global levels, including advocacy and grassroots work involving networks of diverse organizations and individuals. We look forward to working with Teo to continue to build our Chapter model and ensure patient voices are at the heart of policy-making in the USA.

The Arnold Ventures grant will also make possible a 2-3 day #insulin4all workshop to be held in Indianapolis in September 2019. The main attendees will be T1International Chapter Leaders and other key partners. We aim to have a mix of informational sessions to help understand the basics of advocating as well as the insulin price crisis and all the complexities involved. There will be valuable time for discussion and strategy-planning. We also hope to hold the 3^rd annual Eli Lilly action, so stay tuned for more information about both, and save the date for the action on September 14^th!

Since T1International’s founding in 2013, the charity has grown and achieved lasting impact thanks to the dedication of hundreds of volunteers. We are thrilled and grateful to Arnold Ventures for allowing us to have more resources to ensure that the system puts patients over profits and ensures people with diabetes have long-term access to affordable insulin.