The statistics are frightening

• In 1985, there were an estimated 30 million people with diabetes worldwide.
• Today there are more than 245 million people with diabetes, over a seven-fold increase in just over 20 years.
• If nothing is done to slow down the epidemic, within 20 years the number of people with diabetes will reach 380 million.

The burden on healthcare systems is overwhelming

• It is estimated that the costs of diabetes complications account for between 5% and 10% of total healthcare spending in the world.

The cost in human suffering and lives is heartbreaking

• Diabetes is the main cause of partial vision loss and blindness in adults in developed countries.
• Diabetes accounts for the majority of limb amputations that are not the result of an accident.
• People with diabetes are much more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke.
• People with diabetes are at a greater risk of developing kidney disease.