The Diabetic Mogul

Cover image Introduction It was a profound honor and privilege to be part of the 51st ISPAD Scientific Conference 2025, held under the remarkable leadership of Dr. Mélanie Henderson and Dr. Julia von Oettingen, the distinguished convening co-presidents. This year’s conference stood as a beacon of innovation, equity, and collaboration — uniting the brightest minds in pediatric diabetes to reimagine the future of care. To witness the exchange of groundbreaking science, lived experiences, and global perspectives within such a visionary space was both humbling and electrifying — a testament to how far we have come, and how boldly we must continue to move forward. My Role & Contributions I am deeply grateful to have served not only as a member of the Scientific Conference Committee, but also as an invited speaker and co-chair in pivotal sessions shaping the global diabetes discourse. My contributions spanned across multiple platforms — from my presentation on “Co-creating solutions to b...

Participants in blue and facilitators in red We successfully hosted a powerful integrated camp for young people living with Type 1 Diabetes, Sickle Cell Disease, and Rheumatic Heart Disease at Mkoba Teachers College, Gweru, from the 26th to the 30th of August 2025. The camp was organized by the Midlands Diabetes Interest Group, in collaboration with SolidarMed, and in partnership with the Lili Grace Foundation, Panorama Global/T1D Community Fund, Size Investments, Harare Institute of Public Health (HIPH), Profmed, Diamond Pharmacy, Lions Club Gweru, Gweru Children’s Specialist Hospital, and Gweru City Council. What made this camp unique was not only the diversity of conditions represented but also the holistic and interactive approach taken. Every session was designed to encourage questions, dialogue, and real-time learning, ensuring that the content was not just theoretical but directly relevant to the participants’ daily lives. Highlights from the Sessions 1st Session We opened with ...

Group photo From the 8th to the 10th of July 2025, I had the absolute honour of attending the 2nd International Conference on PEN-Plus in Africa (ICPPA) held in Abuja, Nigeria. What a phenomenal gathering it was—a convergence of policymakers, implementers, donors, civil society, and people with lived experience, all rallying behind one shared mission: to scale equitable, decentralized care for people living with severe chronic NCDs across Africa. Alongside my dear colleague Neema Mohamed, we had the distinct privilege of representing Voices for PEN-Plus, and let me be clear—we didn’t take this lightly. As has now become tradition, I’ve penned this brutally honest reflection not as a box-ticking exercise, but as a call to remember, act, and deliver. The stakes are high. People are watching. People are waiting. A Voice From Within the System: No Longer an Afterthought This year’s conference was unlike any other. For the second time, Voices for PEN-Plus were not just included—they were he...

On 28 June 2025, we hosted an unforgettable and deeply meaningful workshop at Sally Mugabe Children’s Hospital under the theme “Diabetes and Wellbeing.” This full-day engagement was a collaborative effort between our clinic, the Pediatric Diabetes Clinic from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, and the phenomenal support of #dedoc° , through our remarkable friend and ally, Bastian Hauck. The program brought together teens, young adults, and their families, creating a safe, supportive, and educational space where knowledge, advocacy, and lived experience intersected. Session Highlights: Tinotenda Dzikiti opened the session with “T1DM Overview and Lived Experience,” He provided a foundational understanding of type 1 diabetes as an autoimmune condition, highlighting its key symptoms. He reflected on the emotional impact of diagnosis, sharing how isolating the early years were for him—navigating life with T1D while relying mostly on adults living with type 2 diabetes for support, simply becau...