Diabetes Prevention Remains a Key Concern for Lions
OAK
BROOK, Illinois, February 29, 2008—Awareness about the endemic disease
diabetes takes center stage on Tuesday, March 25 as the American
Diabetes Association (ADA) sponsors National Diabetes Alert Day. This
annual day acts as a “call to action” to find out if you are at risk
for getting diabetes.
Lions have a long-standing commitment to
the awareness of diabetes that dates back to 1984. Since then, Lions
International has adopted a long-term promise to increase awareness of
the disease, especially since diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause
of blindness in the U.S. An overwhelming 7 percent, or 20.8 million, of
adults and children in the United States have diabetes. While an
estimated 14.6 million have already been diagnosed with diabetes, 6.2
million people remain unaware that they have the disease. As the
presence of diabetes throughout the U.S. continues to grow each year,
spreading awareness about the disease becomes even more imperative. The
cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, however both genetics and
environmental factors, like obesity and lack of exercise, appear to be
correlated to its diagnosis.
To further address the growing
problem of diabetes, LCIF established diabetes prevention and control
as part of LCIF’s Core 4 program in 1999. Since then, 15
diabetes-related grants for US$1.3 million have been approved. The
grants have supported camps that teach children to live with the
disease, large-scale screening and treatment programs and projects to
raise awareness of the disease. Additionally, LCIF awarded nearly $5
million to the ADA, the world's largest source of non-governmental
support for diabetic retinopathy research, for research on diabetic
retinopathy. The grants funded 56 researchers in nine countries. In
addition, the funding resulted in a greater understanding of the
disease and laid the groundwork for more effective treatments.
LCIF
also supports diabetes awareness and prevention through the Lions Eye
Health Program (LEHP). One of the main focuses of LEHP is to inform
communities about preventable vision loss due to diabetic eye disease.
The LCIF program encourages early detection and timely treatment
through eye exams and education.
Through Lions advocacy,
awareness about diabetes continues to be at the center of attention in
the U.S., further continuing the fight for a healthier and happier
country. Participate in this year’s National Diabetes Alert Day and
become one of the many Lions that contribute to the fight against
diabetes.
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Lions Clubs International Foundation is the charitable
arm of Lions Clubs International, the largest service club organization
in the world with 1.3 million members in 201 geographic areas and
countries. LCIF was recently ranked the number one NGO in a Financial
Times study. Since the beginning of the SightFirst program in 1990,
Lions have restored sight to 7.3 million people with cataracts,
prevented serious vision loss in 27 million people, and improved eye
care services for hundreds of millions of people. LCIF has awarded $211
million in SightFirst grants. For more information, visit www.lcif.org.
