Diabetes action plan to tackle huge rise in Leicester

Latest figures have revealed that diagnoses of diabetes have more than doubled in the UK in the past 20 years, with Leicester enduring one of the highest diabetes prevalence rates in the country at 8.98 per cent, well above the national average of 6.4 per cent

With an estimated 28,253 people in the city living with diabetes, Leicester has signed up to the Cities Changing Diabetes programme, a global initiative to tackle the rising trend of type 2 diabetes in urban areas. The Cities Changing Diabetes programme drives awareness, education and treatment and aims to unite key community stakeholders to unite and work together to improve the lives and health outcomes of people with diabetes.

A hand-picked team of diabetes experts and researchers from the Leicester Diabetes Centre have joined forces to work collectively with stakeholders and partners on the Leicester Changing Diabetes initiative.

Professor Melanie Davies CBE, Professor of Diabetes Medicine and Director of the Leicester Diabetes Centre, said: “Type 2 diabetes represents a significant challenge, especially in our multi-ethnic city, but a challenge we are committed to meeting. The recent figures suggest there are more than 12 million people across the UK at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Prevalence rates are still rising, so there’s obviously a lot of work to be done.”

Professor Kamlesh Khunti, Professor of Primary Care Diabetes and Vascular Medicine and Co-Director at Leicester Diabetes Centre, added: “We firmly believe the Cities Changing Diabetes programme here in Leicester will be a major boost to help us drive positive environmental changes that could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as ensure those with the condition have the right level of support and education to manage it properly.”

• Press release