Focus on socially disadvantaged people with diabetes

About Steno Diabetes Center Zealand

The aim of Steno Diabetes Center Zealand is that every person with diabetes in the Region can live longer with a higher quality of life. In addition, the centre will especially focus on minimizing the risk of socially disadvantaged people developing diabetes.

Based on Region Zealand’s decentralized hospital structure, the centre will be established in new and existing buildings at the Region’s four hospital units and in its mental health services. The centre will improve the quality of initiatives for preventing and treating diabetes in collaboration with general practitioners and the municipalities.

About 10,000 people are expected to receive treatment at Steno Diabetes Center Zealand each year, but the ambition is that all the approximately 45,000 people with diabetes in the Region will notice an improvement in the quality of diabetes treatment.

One focus of Steno Diabetes Center Zealand involves a special initiative targeting vulnerable and disadvantaged families and individuals with the aim of ensuring that everyone in the Region receives the best possible diabetes treatment. – Lars Rebien Sørensen

The centre will especially focus on inequality in health in relation to diabetes, chronic complications and comorbidity. The centre will include initiatives targeting specific groups such as vulnerable families with children or adolescents who have diabetes; children and adolescents with a high risk of developing diabetes; obese adults; socially disadvantaged adults; ethnic minorities; and people with diabetes and multiple chronic diseases.

On 4 September 2018, the Board of Directors of the Novo Nordisk Foundation approved a grant of DKK 835.4 million (€112 million) to Region Zealand for establishing and operating Steno Diabetes Center Zealand after the Regional Council approved a detailed plan for the centre on 20 August 2018.

Lars Rebien Sørensen, Chairman of the Board, Novo Nordisk Foundation, says:

“The Novo Nordisk Foundation wants to contribute to Denmark being able to offer world-class research-based prevention and treatment of diabetes. The goals are that people with diabetes can live longer and improve their quality of life and that fewer Danes develop diabetes. One focus of Steno Diabetes Center Zealand involves a special initiative targeting vulnerable and disadvantaged families and individuals with the aim of ensuring that everyone in the Region receives the best possible diabetes treatment.”

The grant from the Foundation begins in 2019 and will last until 2028, with a possible extension thereafter. The Foundation will fund the operating costs of the supplementary treatment of people with diabetes, clinical research, intersectoral collaboration and the development of competencies. In addition, the Foundation will also fund the adjustments of the buildings.

Read more about the centre at the Region Zealand website (in Danish)