Changing Diabetes Bus
On World Diabetes Day, 14 November 2007, the Novo Nordisk Changing Diabetes Bus rolled into New York City, completing an 18-month tour across five continents as part of an ambitious communications effort, ‘A Global Drive to Change Diabetes.’ The company pledged to continue the tour in 2008.
Since January 2006, the bus has logged more than 32,000 kilometres across Europe, Africa, Australia, Asia and North America, attracting more than 86,000 visitors worldwide. The Bus, a 59-foot mobile showroom, stops at schools, hospitals, libraries, parliaments, in town squares and at conferences. It provides visitors with unique and interactive multimedia exhibits where they can learn about diabetes and receive free health screenings including blood sugar levels, Body Mass Index (BMI), cholesterol and blood pressure. The exhibit is designed to educate both adults and children. Visitors also have the opportunity to sign a petition in support of the implementation of the recently-adopted United Nations Resolution on diabetes.
World Diabetes Day 2007
In New York in Union Square on World Diabetes Day, a Global Changing Diabetes Village reproduced the different activities available inside the bus. The winner of an international drawing contest for children was announced.
In addition to the activities in New York, Novo Nordisk conducted special events in seven other cities on World Diabetes Day 2007: Beijing (China), Cairo (Egypt), Copenhagen (Denmark), Havana (Cuba), London (UK), Paris and Strasbourg (France), including Global Diabetes Walks, which put focus on an active lifestyle, the formation of human blue circles (to illustrate the UN symbol) and other events.
Several of Novo Nordisk’s affiliates, including those in South Africa, China, Australia, India and Egypt, launched their own Changing Diabetes Bus in 2007.
Supporting the UN Resolution
The Global Changing Diabetes Bus is part of Novo Nordisk’s contribution to the ‘Unite for Diabetes’ campaign, led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), which helped drive a United Nations (UN) Resolution on diabetes. The Resolution was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 20 December 2006, six months after the campaign was launched.
The Resolution designates 14 November, the current World Diabetes Day, as an UN-observed day and encourages Member States to develop national policies for the prevention, treatment and care of diabetes in line with the sustainable development of their healthcare systems.
Novo Nordisk will continue to take an active leadership role in implementing the UN Resolution on diabetes by establishing high-level groups of experts to facilitate new solutions for change and drive better health outcomes for people with diabetes, and by pursuing its efforts to raise awareness via the Changing Diabetes Bus.
The bus has contributed greatly to raising awareness of diabetes and has generated intensive media coverage across the world.
Follow the journey on the internet
You can read more about the Changing Diabetes Bus and follow its journey on the internet. The site includes diary entries from members of the Novo Nordisk Youth Panel, who take turns travelling on the bus. More information about Novo Nordisk’s commitment to IDF’s UNite for Diabetes campaign is available on the website, which also offers a virtual tour of the bus.
This page has been reviewed by PricewaterhouseCoopers as part of its assurance of Novo Nordisk’s non-financial reporting. Please refer to Audit and assurance for a full description of the conclusions and the nature of assurance offered.
