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Wichita, Kan. and Indianapolis, Ind., November
24, 2003
U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona Kicks Off
Diabetes Detection Initiative
Today, Surgeon General Dr. Richard H. Carmona kicked off the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services' Diabetes Detection Initiative;
Finding the Undiagnosed (DDI). Roche Diagnostics, a world leader
in diabetes care products, was at the event to support HHS' efforts
during the kick-off of this public awareness program. At a special
event at the Wichita Mid-America All-Indian Center, the Surgeon
General stressed the importance of increasing diagnosis for those
with unrecognized diabetes.
Local organizers expect to screen more than 70,000
residents of Wichita and Sedgwick County from today through April,
2004 using paper surveys to identify those at risk for diabetes.
Though blood testing will not be part of the Diabetes Detection
Initiative's screening process, Roche Diagnostics' Accu-Chek®
Compact blood glucose meters and test strips will be used in connection
with the HHS initiative to help educate those identified to be at
risk for diabetes. In addition, nine other sites across the U.S.
are launching the program to help educate the public about the implications
for under diagnosed diabetes.
"It's estimated that more than 5 million Americans
with diabetes are currently undiagnosed, and this is a broad-based
community effort to help reduce that number," said Fred Schuster,
Regional Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS). "We are grateful to Roche Diagnostics for providing
Accu-Chek meters to help us in this effort and their aid in generating
awareness to the public about the unfortunate growing trend for
this disease."
"The Diabetes Detection Initiative is an important
public health campaign, and we are pleased to help draw attention
to this important HHS program. With such a rapid increase in the
number of Americans with diabetes, programs like these are critical
to create awareness and to encourage people to understand and actively
manage their diabetes," said Don Dumoulin, vice president of
sales and marketing, Diabetes Care, Roche Diagnostics. "Roche's
commitment is to help people manage their diabetes in order to maximize
quality of life and minimize long-term health challenges"
Earlier this month, HHS released the 2003 National Diabetes Estimates,
showing the number of Americans with diabetes rose to an all-time
high with an estimated 18.2 million people in 2003. Diabetes continues
to be the sixth leading cause of death in the United States and
is the leading cause of blindness among adults between 20 and 74
years old.
Announcing this initiative at the Wichita Mid-America
All-Indian Center is one important step in creating awareness about
its impact on Americans Indians. According to HHS, 14.9 percent
of American Indians and Alaska Natives who are at least 20 years
old and receive care from Indian Health Service have diabetes. On
average, American Indians and Alaska Natives are 2.3 times as likely
to have diabetes than non-Hispanic whites of similar age.
The Diabetes Detection Initiative: Finding the Undiagnosed
(DDI) is focused on helping Americans better understand their diabetes
risk so that they can take appropriate actions based on those risks.
Roche Diagnostics, makers of the leading diabetes management products
and services , is also committed to educating people with diabetes
about the importance of identifying at risk groups through community-based
efforts. Information and additional resources can be found on www.accu-chek.com
About Roche Diabetes Care
Roche Diabetes Care has been a pioneer in the development of blood
glucose monitoring systems and is a global leader in providing comprehensive
diabetes care. This means offering people with diabetes innovative
products and services reaching from blood glucose monitoring through
data management to insulin delivery. For nearly 30 years, Diabetes
Care has been committed to making living easier for people with
diabetes and healthcare professionals by providing innovative products
and services which make diabetes management easier, more effective
and cost efficient.
Its main products are the Accu-Chek family of blood glucose meters,
test strips, lancing and data management systems, including the
Accu-Chek Compact System, Accu-Chek® Advantage® System and
Accu-Chek® Softclix® Lancet Device. Roche Diabetes Care
is the market leader in its segment.
About Roche and the Roche Diagnostics Division
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's
leading innovation-driven healthcare groups. Its core businesses
are pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is number one in the
global diagnostics market, the leading supplier of pharmaceuticals
for cancer and a leader in virology and transplantation. As a supplier
of products and services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment
of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to
improving people's health and quality of life. Roche employs roughly
65,000 people in 150 countries. The Group has alliances and research
and development agreements with numerous partners, including majority
ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Roche's Diagnostics
Division, the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics with a uniquely
broad product portfolio, supplies a wide array of innovative testing
products and services to researchers, physicians, patients, hospitals
and laboratories world-wide. Roche Diagnostics' North American headquarters
is located in Indianapolis, Ind. (www.roche-diagnostics.us).
For further information, please visit our websites www.roche.com
and www.roche-diagnostics.com.
ACCU-CHEK, ADVANTAGE, SOFTCLIX AND ACCU-CHEK COMPACT are trademarks
of a Member of the Roche Group.
© 2003, Roche Diagnostics. All rights reserved.
Editors Note: If news media need video or photographic support,
please contact Roche Diagnostics Media Relations.
For additional information contact:
Lori LeRoy
Roche Diagnostics
317-521-7159
317-430-3792 cell
lori.leroy@roche.com
www.roche-diagnostics.us
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