10,000 Children’s Lives Improved Through New Clinics

April 25, 2013 /3BL Media/ -  Free products, regular testing, easy access to doctors – and the opportunity to survive for more than a year and live a life with type 1 diabetes - ­as close as possible to a normal life. The notable benefits from Novo Nordisk’s Changing Diabetes in Children^® programme have now reached 10,000 children, one year ahead of time.  

Type 1 diabetes in children causes high mortality in developing countries. A child diagnosed with diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, has a life expectancy of less than one year¹. To do something about the lack of treatment and care for these children, Novo Nordisk started the Changing Diabetes^® in Children (CDiC) programme in 2009.

Now, Novo Nordisk has reached a milestone together with the local partners: 10,000 children with type 1 diabetes in developing countries are enrolled and receive lifesaving treatment.

Reports from the nine participating countries show that 77 clinics have been established and that 2,700 healthcare professionals have been trained to diagnose, treat and educate children and their families. Novo Nordisk supplies free human insulin to the children. The nine countries are: Bangladesh, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Guinea, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya and India.

Going forward, Novo Nordisk will focus on making the programme run sustainably and independently by preparing the local partners to take over and sustain the programme, so the children can continue to get the treatment they need. The initial commitment of Novo Nordisk was for five years, but an extension of the programme is being considered.

Read more about the Changing Diabetes in Children^® programme

For more information, please contact

Daniel Vámosi Martinussen
Tel +45 30 79 18 79
dvmm@novonordisk.com

1. Yudkin, JS. Insulin for the world’s poorest countries. The Lancet. 2000;355: 919-921.