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Novo Nordisk Supports Gestational Diabetes Treatment in Colombia

Novo Nordisk Supports Gestational Diabetes Treatment in Colombia

Published 10-31-11

Submitted by Novo Nordisk

In October 2011, the Health Secretary of Barranqilla with support from Novo Nordisk launched the "Vida Nueva" (New Life) Project for Gestational Diabetes in Barranquilla, Colombia. Vida Nueva, a key activity in Novo Nordisk's Changing Diabetes® in Pregnancy programme, seeks to diagnose and treat women with gestational diabetes and prevent the women and their babies from developing type 2 diabetes in the future.

"Novo Nordisk is proud to join forces with partners from the public sector and academic institutions in an effort to achieve our common goal of preventing diabetes and ensuring better lives for those who are living with the disease," said Nicolai Lohse, Programme Director of Novo Nordisk's Changing Diabetes® in Pregnancy programme.

Worldwide prevalence of gestational diabetes ranges from 2.5% to 38% according to a recent article in the Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine. However, good estimates of prevalence in Colombia are absent. Undiagnosed and untreated gestational diabetes can lead to birth complications and a higher risk for the mother and child of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Through early detection and early interventions, the Vida Nueva Project aims to reduce these complications and risks.

"Without timely diagnosis, gestational diabetes can cause birth defects and the mother may develop diabetes and pass it to her child after birth," said Dr. Humberto Rafael Mendoza, General Coordinator of Vida Nueva.

The Vida Nueva Project will be implemented initially in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia for an initial period of three years with the goal of expanding the programme nationally. The project is a public-private partnership between Novo Nordisk, the city of Barranquilla, three local universities, the Colombia-based non-governmental organization CIIS, the University of Helsinki, the University of Copenhagen and Steno Health Promotion Centre. The project is co-funded by the World Diabetes Foundation.

About Gestational Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that is first diagnosed during pregnancy and can affect the health of both the mother and her unborn child. Often gestational diabetes can be controlled through proper diet and regular exercise, but sometimes women with gestational diabetes require glucose-lowering drug treatment to normalise their blood glucose levels in order to avoid complications in the infant. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the child is born, but 5-10% of women with gestational diabetes are found to have type 2 diabetes immediately after pregnancy, and more than 50% develop type 2 diabetes during the next decade.

About Novo Nordisk's Changing Diabetes® in Pregnancy programme

The Changing Diabetes® in Pregnancy programme was established in 2009 with the aim of building knowledge and solutions in the field of gestational diabetes.

Read more about Novo Nordisk's Changing Diabetes® in Pregnancy programme here.

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Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within haemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone replacement therapy. We believe that a healthy economy, environment and society are fundamental to long-term value creation. This is why we manage our business in accordance with the Triple Bottom Line business principle and consider the financial, environmental and social impact of our business decisions. The strategic commitment to corporate sustainability has brought the company onto centre stage as a leading player in today's business environment, recognised for its integrated reporting, stakeholder engagement and consistently high sustainability performance.

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