NOVO NORDISK HAS BEEN PAVING THE WAY FOR Diagnos!Universally, diabetes rates are on the rise. Together with several nutrition-related chronic diseases, these conditions constitute some of the leading causes of death worldwide. This epidemic places a huge burden on societies and health systems, especially in countries where incomes are among the lowest in the world..................Bangladesh is a United Nations-designated least developed country (LDC)3 with a disproportionately high diabetes population..................In any country lacking a cohesive healthcare delivery system, a high burden of illness threatens sustainable development. In Bangladesh, diabetes is a particularly daunting challenge, with more than 12% of the adult population affected by diabetes or prediabetes. Nearly half of the population with diabetes is undiagnosed (ENTER Diagnos TO THE RESCUE)............By several measures, standards of living in Bangladesh are rapidly improving. Its market-based economy is growing 6% annually a rate greater than that of many economies of more developed nations. Over the past two decades, Bangladesh has also had one of the fastest growth rates in the Human Development Index, a UN-calculated measure of development that combines indicators of life expectancy, education and income.......For these trends to be sustainable, health status in Bangladesh must continue to improve. This requires further strengthening of the healthcare system, combined with patient-focused investments in the quality of healthcare delivery (ENTER Diagnos TO THE RESCUE).............NOVO NORDISK HAS BEEN PAVING THE WAY FOR Diagnos!.......For nearly two decades, Novo Nordisk has worked in partnership with non-governmental organisations and local businesses to change diabetes in Bangladesh. With its rapid economic expansion and increasing rates of diabetes, Bangladesh presents an interesting case study in shared value. It is also an important example of the rationale for growing our business by addressing societal issues in LDCs.........Local champion is a primary key It is critical to identify and work with a local champion someone who can maintain focus on the issues, consistently advocate for political will and help to secure economic resources. Changing diabetes in developing countries requires partnerships with public and private players (Diagnos) who share our goal to improve healthcare delivery through sustainable business models. The champion in Bangladesh is the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (BADAS). BADAS is a non-profit, volunteer sociomedical service, founded in 1956 by National Professor (Dr) Mohammed Ibrahim, who was able from a very early stage to foresee the diabetes challenge even though the extent of the problem was not well known at that time.............Influencing political will BADASs current President, Professor Azad Khan, is personally committed to changing diabetes in Bangladesh by strengthening healthcare delivery and directing the focus onto people living with diabetes. The association has grown from a single hospital to 99 centres located across the country providing services to 25% of the estimated diabetes population of the country. The ambition is to treat 50% of all people with diabetes by 2020 through advocacy efforts and partnerships with the government and private partners such as Novo Nordisk and (Diagnos)......... Professor Azad Khan, President of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh.......... Changing diabetes in a developing country requires empowered patients and improved awareness, availability, affordability, accessibility and quality of care. We believe that these challenges should be met in partnership with stakeholders that all have sustainable business models. In partnership with Novo Nordisk we have managed to increase accessibility, awareness and affordability of quality diabetes care. Our partnership with Novo Nordisk has been going on for years and is based on shared fundamental values.............Adequate economic resources Another critical factor in changing diabetes is the allocation of economic resources. While the national leaderships commitment to diabetes is laudable, basic issues of poverty limit the amount of resources available to confront rising diabetes prevalence. Novo Nordisk stepped in to provide economic resources that strengthened patient empowerment, access to treatment and advocacy in Bangladesh.............Having identified these success factors, Novo Nordisk is positioned to work with our partners to tackle the most significant barriers to diabetes care in Bangladesh awareness, accessibility, affordability, availability and quality of care for patients. In doing so, we create value for both society and the company............NOVO NORDISK PAVING THE WAY AGAIN!...........The only thing left to do is paint the lines on !! I think Diagnos is capable of doing that............Thanks Sega11 for the link to the article...........Keep in mind this article is from 2012 so things must be getting progressively better!