Novartis brings “diabetes to light”

The Novartis lighting ceremony demonstrates the commitment of the company in providing innovative therapies for the treatment of diabetes. The lightening ceremony is a part of International Diabetes Federation's (IDF) Monument Challenge.

Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of death globally

According to the IDF, diabetes is a progressive disease in which control of blood sugar deteriorates over time.  Diabetes is a disease that affects 53 million people in Europe and 245 million people worldwide, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the world.
 
Although there have been significant improvements in diabetes care over recent years, there is currently no cure for diabetes, and at least half of all people with diabetes according to IDF, are unaware of their condition.

Novartis and IDF partner to raise diabetes awareness

"Diabetes presents the world with one of its greatest health challenges and is associated with many serious conditions, including cardiovascular disease," said Ameet Nathwani, MD, Global Head of the Cardiovascular & Metabolism Development Franchise at Novartis Pharma AG. "Novartis is committed to raising the standards for type 2 diabetes treatments and helping to improve the lives of all those affected by this disease."

It is because of the very serious nature of this disease that IDF and its partners, including Novartis, work so hard to raise awareness of diabetes among those who are at risk and their families.  World Diabetes Day is an important global activity to assist in this goal.

The World Diabetes Day Monument Challenge encourages communities around the world to rally behind the call and light iconic landmarks and buildings in blue to mark the day.  The Federation aims to light 500 monuments and iconic buildings across the world.  In 2007 a total of 279 iconic monuments were lit as beacons of hope for the millions of people worldwide living with diabetes, reaching over 1.2 billion people.

"The World Diabetes Day campaign affords everyone the opportunity to make a difference. Together we can provide a strong global voice that can advocate for improved care for the more than 250 million people living with diabetes and the many millions more at risk. For our voice to be heard we need strong partners that support local, regional and global action. We welcome Novartis as an Official World Diabetes Day Partner," said Phil Riley, World Diabetes Day Campaign Director, IDF.

Since 2000, Novartis has partnered with IDF, supporting such important initiatives as the Pill Box Campaign in South Africa, Bermuda and India, distributing pill boxes to community diabetes support groups, doctors and pharmacies to encourage people to remember to take their medication.

Visit the website of International Diabetes Federation to learn more about the disease

 

 

Novartis PRIZE in diabetes

In 1999 Novartis created the International Novartis Prize in Diabetes to help increase the awareness of and urgency for innovation in diabetes clinical research. This annual award program recognizes outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of people with diabetes. The Prize is awarded in two categories:

• The Long-Standing Achievement prize, honoring the recipients' significant accomplishments in researching diabetes risk and management
• The Young Investigators prize, recognizing innovative patient-oriented research in physiology, pathophysiology or epidemiology of diabetes and its complications

Learn more about the Novartis Prize in Diabetes