Novo Nordisk Launches 'Cities Changing Diabetes' to Fight Urban Diabetes

Bagsværd, Denmark (ots/PRNewswire) -

Novo Nordisk today announces the launch of 'Cities Changing
Diabetes', an ambitious new partnership programme to fight the urban
diabetes challenge. The 'Cities Changing Diabetes' programme will
first be launched in Mexico City with other cities in North America,
Europe and Asia soon to follow.

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abetes

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"The global diabetes epidemic is an emergency in slow motion,"
says Lars Rebien Sorensen, chief executive officer, Novo Nordisk.
"While there are many factors fuelling the growth trajectory of
diabetes, the most striking contributor is urbanisation and the
growth of cities. The 'Cities Changing Diabetes' programme is our
call to arms for people around the world to work together to tackle
this for the long-term."

The aim of the programme is to map the problem, share solutions
and drive concrete action to fight the diabetes challenge in the big
cities around the world. The programme will be developed in
partnership with University College London (UCL) and supported by
Steno Diabetes Center, Denmark, a world-leading institution in
diabetes care and prevention, as well as a range of local partners
including healthcare professionals, city authorities, urban planners,
businesses, academics and community leaders, amongst others.

During 2014, the partners will work together to better understand
the diabetes challenge in cities in order to identify the actions
needed to tackle it. Following the initial discovery phase, Novo
Nordisk and its partners, with the help of policymakers, health
authorities, the private sector and the volunteer sector, will
announce action plans for each of the cities that will be part of the
programme.

Two out of three with diabetes live in cities

The rise of diabetes is one of the world's most serious health
challenges with statistics getting worse every year. By 2030, it is
estimated that more than half a billion people will suffer from
diabetes. Today, nearly two thirds of everyone with diabetes live in
cities, and those who move to cities are significantly more likely to
develop diabetes than those who remain in rural settings.[1]

For the first time in human history, more people live in cities
than rural areas. It's 52% today - and by 2050, that figure will have
risen to 70% of the global population.[2] From rising wealth and
increasing consumption, to more sedentary lifestyles and inequality
of access to healthcare, urban living presents a major challenge to
health and has become one of the key drivers behind the acceleration
of global diabetes.

Mexico City first to join

Mexico City will be the first global city to join the 'Cities
Changing Diabetes' programme. With a population of 20 million, Mexico
City is today one of the largest metropolitan areas in the western
world.

The Minister of Health of Mexico City, Dr Armando Ahued Ortega,
states that early detection of diabetes and care hereof are one of
his administration's public health priorities. "We have implemented
large-scale initiatives to fight overweight, obesity and diabetes and
we are starting to see the results. However, diabetes continues to
constitute a heavy burden for the city's health services. I look
forward to seeing the results from the research phase initiated
today, as they will provide a solid foundation for developing an
integrated response to tackle this public health emergency. I am very
proud of Mexico City taking the global lead to fight urban diabetes."

The launch event for the 'Cities Changing Diabetes' programme will
take place today in Mexico City at Museo Interactivo de Economia
(MIDE), a previous hospital for terminally-ill people, at 10.00 am
CST.

About Novo Nordisk

Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare
company with 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. Headquartered
in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 38,000 employees in 75
countries, and markets its products in more than 180 countries. For
more information, visit http://www.novonordisk.com.

About UCL (University College London)

Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established
after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of
race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic
teaching of law, architecture and medicine. UCL is among the world's
top universities, as reflected by performance in a range of
international rankings and tables. UCL currently has 27,000 students
from almost 140 countries, and around 11,000 employees. Annual
turnover is nearly GBP1 billion.

For more information, visit http://www.ucl.ac.uk.

About Steno Diabetes Center

Steno Diabetes Center is a world leading institution within
diabetes care and prevention. Steno is owned by Novo Nordisk A/S and
is a 'not for profit' organisation working in partnership with the
Danish healthcare system. Steno treats around 5600 people with
diabetes every year. For more information, visit http://www.steno.dk

Media: Katrine Sperling +45-4442-6718 krsp@novonordisk.com

References

1. IDF Diabetes Atlas. International Diabetes Federation 2013. 6th
edition.

2. World Urbanization Prospects, the 2011 Revision. United
Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs

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ots Originaltext: Novo Nordisk A/S
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