Type 2 Diabetes is Preventable, But Governments Must Act Now

BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 4 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The diabetes pandemic is threatening to overwhelm global healthcare services. However, lifestyle changes, the targeting of individuals at high risk, and environmental changes can effect dramatic improvements.

The new International Diabetes Federation (IDF) consensus on diabetes prevention calls on governments worldwide to act now by developing National Diabetes Prevention Plans and opportunistic screening programmes to identify those at high risk of developing the disease.

Professor Sir George Alberti and IDF invite you to a press briefing to launch the new consensus at the 2nd International Congress on "Prediabetes" & the Metabolic Syndrome in Barcelona. A virtual transmission (webcast) of the launch will take place the following day where you will be able to view and listen to the presentations online.

Press Briefing: Thursday 26th April at 12.30-14.00 (CET)

Hall H, Palacio de Congresos de Cataluna, Barcelona.

A buffet lunch and refreshments will be available.

Webcast: Friday 27th April at 09:00 (CET), http://www.idf.org/webcast/barcelona

Chairman: Professor Sir George Alberti, Senior Research Fellow at Imperial College, London; National Clinical Director for Emergency Access, UK; Past President IDF

Contributions from: Professor Paul Zimmet, Director, International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia

Professor Jean-Claude Mbanya, Vice Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Cameroon

President-Elect, IDF

Professor Avi Friedman, Professor of Architecture at McGill University, Montreal, Canada

-- For further updates on this event and for pre-testing your computer's configuration, please visit: http://www.idf.org/webcast/barcelona

-- More information on the Barcelona Congress can be found online at http://www.kenes.com/prediabetes/