Q4-04
	Fighting the global threat of diabetes  Diabetes remains high on the international health agenda since the scale of the problem is still widely under recognized. New methods are therefore introduced to fund new projects and raise awareness of diabetes and the level of knowledge among health care workers and populations in the developing world. By supporting 32 projects in developing countries the World Diabetes Foundation directly or indirectly influences 67 million people worldwide in an effort to bring diabetes out of the shadows of communicable diseases.        More than 300 million people are currently at risk of developing diabetes and 314 million people worldwide, or 8.2% of the adult population, are estimated to have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a state which often precedes diabetes. Type 2, or non-insulin dependent, diabetes constitutes between 85 - 95% of all diabetes in developed countries and accounts for an even higher percentage in developing countries.   In this second edition of WDF News we have aimed at sharing with you some of the achievements from the international work initiated to improve diabetes management. This implies bringing your attention to some of the challenges involved in diabetes care and highlighting some of the success stories.   At present the World Diabetes Foundation supports 32 on-going projects in developing countries. The total project portfolio amounts to USD 31.5 million of which USD 13.3 million have been donated by WDF. Of the 32 projects, three have a global perspective and 29 focus on geographical regions or specific countries in those regions.
389 walks in 54 countries with 75,225 people	Walking to a healthier life - Global Diabetes Walk The diabetes pandemic has evolved as a result of rapid cultural changes, aging populations, increasing urbanization, dietary changes, decreased physical activity and other unhealthy lifestyles and behavioral patterns. All over the world traditional lifestyles and dietary patterns are giving way to a sedentary lifestyle and a high-fat diet – obesity being the visible proof of a misdirected tendency and diabetes the fatal outcome. In an effort to fight obesity and thereby prevent diabetes WDF and Novo Nordisk have initiated a Global Diabetes Walk on World Diabetes Day 14 November 2004 promoting the message of a healthier lifestyle. The initiative is described in the article Walking to a Healthier life. Read more  pdf-version
	Aravind’s eye-saving van   Once developed, a major complication of diabetes is blindness, also known as retinopathy. Today diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in developing countries as a result of late detection, inadequate treatment and the inability to reach remote villages. As part of the WDF funded diabetes eye project in Indiaan advanced Mobile eye Screening Unit has been developed in order to reach the remote areas.   The mobile unit enables early diagnosis of a formerly undetectable part of the Indian population thereby contributing to the overall goal of reducing blindness resulting from diabetes. In the article Aravind’s Eye-saving Van you can read about the extraordinary initiative made possible with the involvement of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).    Read more   pdf-version
	Fundraising for Mongolia Brought up to face the threat of communicable diseases many countries from the developing world will need help from the international society first of all to recognise the impending threat of non-communicable diseases; secondly, to be able to offer and identify the right diagnosis and treatment. In the article Fundraising in Mongolia you can read about a new fundraising project demonstrating the beneficial outcome of a partnership between Novo Nordisk’s Japanese affiliate, the local diabetes foundation of Mongolia, WHO and the World Diabetes Foundation. Read more  pdf-version
	New perspectives on insulin access in the developing world Insulin has been designated an essential drug by the World Health Organisation (WHO) but it is not yet universally accessible to all those who need it. The lack of access to insulin is not a simple question of supply and demand; it is not even just a question of affordability. Problems of distribution, storage, transportation and taxation, inappropriate healthcare, lack of diabetes education, tradition and beliefs all contribute to the inaccessibility of insulin by those who require it to survive. The problem is further exacerbated in many developing countries by the lack of good epidemiological data on diabetes and inadequate healthcare facilities in remote areas. The complexity of the problem is handled in the article New Perspectives on Insulin Access in the Developing World based on the assessment protocol for insulin access in Mozambique developed by the International Insulin Foundation (IIF). Read more  pdf-version