News & Events

Helsinki, Finland (July 22, 1997) -- At a meeting of international leaders in diabetes research and health care, Becton Dickinson initiated the Compass Project - a five-year campaign that is dedicated to helping people with diabetes worldwide lead healthier lives. The project, to be managed through a non-profit foundation, will promote early diagnosis and optimal treatment for the disease. Becton Dickinson is the founding partner of the campaign, which grew from the company's long-standing commitment to diabetes care and manifests the company's concern for people touched by the disease.

Diabetes affects the body's ability to produce or respond properly to insulin, a hormone that allows blood sugar to enter the cells and be used for energy. Because it is a "silent killer," only half of those with the disease know they have it and by the time they are diagnosed, many already suffer life-threatening complications. Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness and kidney disease in the United States and Europe. It doubles the risk of heart attack and stroke, and is the culprit in half of all leg amputations.

More than 135 million people have diabetes and that number is escalating rapidly; the World Health Organization projects more than 300 million people will have the disease by the year 2025. Once considered a disease of affluence, diabetes now pervades virtually every culture, ethnic group and socioeconomic class worldwide. Compounding the problem is the fact that a quarter of the world's nations have no budget allocated for diabetes care.

"Sophisticated medical trials clearly show that we can reduce or prevent many of the severe complications caused by diabetes," said Dr. Donnell Etzwiler, founder of the International Diabetes Center (IDC). "We now have the knowledge and tools to adapt the science into improved diabetes care through cooperation between health professionals and patients," he added.

The Compass Project has engaged the talents of a global Expert Advisory Committee to guide its activities worldwide. The committee includes representatives from major health and service organizations around the world. During its five-year tenure, the project will develop global and local strategies to improve awareness, screening, diagnosis and treatment and will spark innovative community programs to make a difference. Beginning in 1998, the Compass Project will convene a yearly Global Summit on Excellence in Diabetes Care to identify best practices in diabetes care worldwide, identify gaps in diabetes care and make recommendations for action at the national and local levels.