The World Congress on the Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications (WPCD) will present over one hundred lectures by top experts and provide an important opportunity to meet colleagues and scientists from all over the world working to find better ways to prevent diabetes and its complications.
“The WCPD 2008 provides a great opportunity to share the latest scientific studies and experiences on the prevention of diabetes and its complications, practical models and the tools for prevention of type 2 diabetes, and national, regional and global strategies for combating the scourge of diabetes”, says professor Pekka Puska, the President of the WCPD 2008 Congress.
The WCPD 2008 Congress will be co-organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland and its main supporting organisations are the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Heart Federation (WHF). Partners include the Federation of European Nurses in Diabetes (FEND), the Public Health Institutes of the World (IANPHI), and the International Diabetes Epidemiology Group (IDEG).
Diabetes in Finland
Out of a population of 5.2 million in Finland, 40 000 people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and about 250 000 people with type 2. About 4 000 children under the age of 16 have diabetes and the number of undiagnosed cases of type 2 diabetes is estimated at 200 000.
As a response to the growing problem, Finland initiated the Dehko Programme led by the Finnish Diabetes Association. This programme includes a special project for the prevention of type 2 diabetes entitled the FIN-D2D Project (2003-2007) and comprising three concurrent strategies:
Population Strategy: prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes at population level
High-Risk Strategy: screening of people with elevated risk and management of risk factors by lifestyle counselling
Early Diagnosis and Management strategy: prevention of complications among newly diagnosed people with type 2 diabetes by bringing them within the sphere of appropriate treatment
The fieldwork of the FIN-D2D Project is now complete and the writing of the report is underway. The first results regarding the effectiveness of the project are to be presented in Finland next summer at the WCPD Congress (World Congress on the Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications).
”There is convincing evidence that diabetes can be prevented by a change in living habits. And since there is no cure for diabetes once it has been diagnosed, prevention is the only real option”, says Timo Saaristo, the National Coordinator of FIN- D2D.
Actions under FIN-D2D Project include:
Testing the Programme for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Finland in practice.
Developing new action models to be disseminated to all primary health care centres and occupational health care units in Finland.
Evaluating both the effectiveness and the cost-effectiveness of the new prevention and care practices.
The project covers five hospital districts, which cover a total a population of 1.5 million Finns. This year, there will be a follow-up project In order to ensure that the practices which have got off to such a good start can become established as permanent health care measures throughout Finland,
More on the project can be found on the Finnish Diabetes Association website and on the WCPD 2008 World Congress www.wcpd2008.fi.
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