A major information meeting on diabetes is to take place in Athlone later this month.

The Diabetes Federation of Ireland's annual spring meeting will take place on Sunday, April 10. The aim of this year's event is to highlight the importance of self-care.

Speakers at the event will include Dr Ronan Canavan, a consultant endocrinologist at Loughlinstown Hospital, who will highlight the importance of screening for diabetic retinopathy - an eye condition affecting one in three people with diabetes.

He will also discuss the importance of foot screening, while the HSE diabetes clinical lead, Prof Richard Firth, will speak about the national development of new screening services and when people can expect to avail of them.

"The development and launch of these new services is of extreme importance to thousands of people with diabetes throughout the country. On their behalf, I very much welcome the HSE's commitment to developing these diabetes services and look forward to the day the first patients receive their written invitation to attend for eye and foot screening appointments," commented the Diabetes Federation's CEO, Kieran O'Leary.

He urged people with diabetes to come to the meeting ‘and hear from the experts'.

The meeting will take place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Athlone on April 10 at 2pm. This is a public event and everyone is welcome. Registration is not necessary and no fees apply.