2 March 2022

MEP Kateřina Konečná (The Left, Czech Republic) is a member of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO), the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China (D-CN), the Delegation to the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (DACP) and the Delegation to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly (DAFR). She is also a substitute member of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety (ENVI), the Committee on Public Health (SANT) and the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI).

Before being elected to the European Parliament, MEP Konečná served in the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic from 2002 to 2014, becoming one of its youngest members. She was first elected to the European Parliament in 2014.

One of MEP Konečná’s key priorities is promoting early diagnosis as a critical element in preventing diabetes-related complications. Early detection enables timely intervention, reduces the risk of severe complications, and improves long-term health outcomes for people living with diabetes. Evidence shows that screening and early diagnosis can significantly reduce the likelihood of life-threatening complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis, support earlier disease management, and even allow access to treatments that may delay disease progression. Early diagnosis also provides people living with diabetes and families with the opportunity to prepare, access appropriate care, and avoid preventable hospitalisations and long-term complications, highlighting the importance of strengthening screening programmes and improving access to diagnostic tools across healthcare systems.

We wish to thank MEP Konečná for her support and look forward to working closely together to advance early diagnosis, strengthen prevention strategies, and improve health outcomes for people living with diabetes across the European Union.