21 January 2024

The MMD Group is delighted to welcome MEP Catarina Martins (The Left, Portugal) as a new member. MEP Catarina Martins serves as Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Caribbean-EU Parliamentary Assembly and is a key member of both the Delegation for Relations with Brazil and the Delegation to the OACPS-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly. She is also a substitute member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), and the Committee on Industry, Research, and Energy (ITRE).

MEP Catarina Martins is a member of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and the Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT), where she also acts as coordinator for The Left. Before joining the European Parliament, MEP Catarina Martins was actively involved in public health initiatives in Portugal, collaborating with the Portuguese Diabetes Association (APDP) to improve diabetes care. Today, she wants to continue addressing the growing impact of diabetes in Europe, with a specific focus on social and economic factors which play a critical role in shaping health outcomes. While diabetes, for example, can affect anyone, there is a clear link between socio-economic conditions and the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes (T2D); people with lower levels of education are 2.4 times more likely to develop T2D and face greater risks of diabetes-related complications.

One of the MMD group’s key objectives is to advocate for policies that tackle the social determinants of health, and support an improvement in diabetes prevention and management, while also strengthening public health systems. MEP Catarina Martins’ dedication to these issues will enhance the MMD Group’s efforts to promote ambitious action on diabetes at the EU level. We look forward to collaborating with MEP Catarina Martins.