The Board of Directors of the Novo Nordisk Foundation has approved a vision statement aiming to strengthen diabetes initiatives in the North Denmark Region. The vision statement had been previously approved by a broad political majority in the North Denmark Regional Council.
“We are pleased that agreement has been reached on a framework for a vision for diabetes initiatives in the North Denmark Region. The Foundation’s goal is that this new measure will improve treatment, research and prevention related to diabetes throughout the region,” says Sten Scheibye, Chairman, Novo Nordisk Foundation.
“Now that the vision statement is in place, we can continue to work on the detail of the project plan based on dialogue with such organizations as the hospitals in the region, the general practice sector and the municipalities,” he adds.
Once a project plan has been prepared, the Regional Council and the Foundation’s Board must approve it. This process is expected to be completed by the end of 2017, and then the Foundation will make a final decision on awarding a grant. The Foundation has indicated that it expects to award a grant to the region of up to DKK 700 million (€94 million) over a 10-year period.
The collaboration includes establishing a Steno Diabetes Center in Aalborg. The centre will collaborate closely with hospital, municipalities and general practitioners on treating and preventing diabetes. The centre’s services will include helping to develop telemedicine and digital solutions that benefit people with diabetes. The vision also includes creating new services for people with diabetes who also have other illnesses, including mental disorders.
Ulla Astman, Chair of the North Denmark Regional Council, is looking forward to taking the next step in establishing a Steno Diabetes Centre in the region.
“The centre will give us the opportunity to make a really positive difference for everyone with diabetes in the North Denmark Region. We hope that this will help to slow down the expected growth in the number of people developing diabetes in the coming years. In addition, we expect that the experience and knowledge obtained from improving diabetes initiatives will positively affect efforts to help other people with chronic diseases,” says Ulla Astman.
Strengthening diabetes initiatives in the North Denmark Region is part of a nationwide initiative. In 2016, the Foundation awarded DKK 2.945 billion (€395 million) to the Capital Region of Denmark to establish Steno Diabetes Center Copenhagen. The Foundation has also approved two vision statements for diabetes treatment in the Region of Southern Denmark and the Central Denmark Region, including establishing a Steno Diabetes Center Odense and a Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus. The Foundation has indicated that it expects to award each of these two regions about DKK 1.4 billion (€188 million) over a 10-year period. In addition, the Foundation is discussing the formulation of a vision statement with Region Zealand for strengthening diabetes initiatives in the region.
Read about Steno Diabetes Center North Denmark here.
Further information
Christian Mostrup, Senior Press Lead, Novo Nordisk Foundation, +45 3067 4805, cims@novo.dk