In 2022, T1International and the #insulin4all network continued to push for improvements on the status quo for people with diabetes all over the globe. The past year saw our organization set global, state, and federal advocacy priorities, achieve tangible steps forward, and stage our first major in-person actions in years.

With many successes and key moments to reflect on, it is nearly impossible to recap all in a single post. Instead, you can hear about our 14 favorite moments directly from the T1International team - in no particular order!

Two of our Global Advocates, Dani and Apoorva, participated in the WHO Technical Advisory Group of Experts this year. It shows a great step forward in more patient representation on global committees. Patient representation is one of the core values of T1International, and this year we also launched our 6 Strategies for Ethical Patient Engagement guide. Patients should be treated as the experts they are, and our input is vital to ensure that decisions and legislation puts patient’s needs first. 

After gathering lots of input from our advocates around the world, we all voted on a global advocacy priority to focus on over the coming years: a world where no one with diabetes has to spend more than 5% of their income on insulin and blood glucose testing supplies by the year 2025. We launched the Fight For Five campaign recently to help raise awareness of our priority and build momentum for our fight to achieve the goal. You can sign up here to receive updates about actions related to this goal in the coming year.

Helping incredible supporters all across the globe raise thousands of dollars while achieving and beating their targets because they believe in what we stand for has been amazing! You can still help T1International raise $250K by the end of 2022! We’re one third of the way to our goal that would allow us to continue our advocacy efforts in 2023 and beyond. Not in a position to donate today? Reach out to get support in creating and amplifying your own fundraiser. 

We all came together to help with the2022 #insulin4all Summit this year. It was lovely how everyone contributed to make that possible! The Summit was a true team effort. With hundreds of participants and attendees from all over the globe, everyone needed to pitch in to ensure the event was inclusive and representative of the entire diabetes community. It was a great event and a chance to launch our new ‘About T1International’ video!

Hearing the voices of Families United for Affordable Insulin (FUFAI) at our in-person rally and march in Indianapolis at Eli Lilly’s headquarters was so powerful. FUFAI is a T1International group that provides support and guidance for families grieving the loss of loved ones impacted by the insulin price crisis. Facilitated by T1I Ambassador Nicole Smith-Holt, the group has spoken out at vigils and campaigns in support of affordable insulin for all who need it. Their stories helps crystalize why we fight for #insulin4all every day.

In 2022, our Global Advocacy Network has been helping to lead our efforts in creating equity in diabetes treatment and advocacy. Over the past year, we’ve helped advocates create and carry out personalized action plans. We also support them to tackle local challenges and provide community support. It has been an honor to connect one-on-one with them and be a part of their work!

New York City is a key place to appeal to major US decision makers and legislative leaders. That's why, with the help of our New York and Connecticut Chapters, we led a protest to improve insulin access through federal legislation, targeting Senator Schumer's office. A few months later, we were invited to come to Senator Schumer's press conference, where New York Chapter Leader Taylor was invited to speak on her experience.

For too long, data highlighting the insulin crisis on a global scale has been scarce. Over the past year, we carried out our most recent version of the Out-Of-Pocket Cost Survey. The survey is the most extensive patient-led cost survey for people living with type 1 diabetes. Over one thousand individuals contributed to this important survey that will paint a picture of this crisis to leaders and decision makers who can make a positive difference for people with diabetes.

During the 100 Years of Insulin Campaign, we advocated (instead of celebrating) because half the globe still cannot access it. Bringing our worldwide community together, we had our Gift To Greed video translated in four languages and shared on our YouTube page. We also held a watch party to show the videos, where advocates from around the world shared about their experience, in their own language.

Over the past year, we’ve worked with grassroots advocates in leading demonstrations in Massachusetts, Washington, Utah, and more. We also led Chapters through a State Campaign Prioritization Process to ensure our support is best targeted. Our priorities are: Alec’s Law, Kevin’s Law/Pharmacist Scope of Practice, Public Production, and Non-Medical Switching. Top Chapter successes include: Ohio updating their Kevin’s Law with an insurance mandate, New Hampshire updating their emergency access pharmacy rule from a 30 day to a 90 day refill, California committing $100 million to public production, and Washington starting an insulin affordability working group - among many others!

T1International's Federal Working Group came together to set strategic campaign priorities for our organization: a price cap on insulin, patent reform, and tax reform. We made some major progress and our team was even invited to the White House in 2022! We helped win major tax reform as part of the Insulin Reduction Act (IRA). Read about the long road to Federal insulin legislation and what more needs to be done.

In April, we partnered with Human Rights Watch on a report that formally categorized the soaring cost of insulin and regulatory failures as a human rights crisis. The report illustrated the human impact of sky-high insulin prices through the testimony of 18 insulin-dependent people living with diabetes. Having the insulin price crisis recognized as a true human rights crisis confirms what we have been saying all along: Access to Insulin is a Human Right.

As a means of clarifying what is most important to us and our approach to advocacy, this year we formalized and distributed our advocacy model. It puts in writing the work we have been doing for years, and outlines the thinking behind why we do what we do, and how. It has helped solidify our leadership building and advocacy focus for our team and our community. We're excited to have this resource finalized.

We continue to embrace our Ethical Fundraising Promise! T1International does not accept money from pharmaceutical companies or any other entity that we feel might influence our ability to speak out freely. Our work also deeply involves and includes our community and empowers them to use their powerful voices for change, making us all stronger. These elements of T1International make our mission especially unique, and one that truly puts the welfare of patients over profits!

Our greatest moments and biggest successes are still to come. But in order to keep the momentum going, we need YOUR support! You can make a recurring contribution here on our website that will help make all of the above and MORE possible. As we wrap up another year of hard work, we’d like to thank all of the advocates, sponsors, allies, and more for making this movement possible! We look forward to even more stories, change, and difference making in 2023 and as long as anyone must fight to access insulin and diabetes supplies.