Mérida is already part of the world project "Cities changing diabetes"

Support for the combat of the disease in coordination with civil society, academia and pharmaceuticals Novo Nordisk.

The City Council of Mérida officially joined the world project “cities changing diabetes” in another sample of the actions it undertakes to improve the health, well -being and development of the inhabitants of the municipality.

Yiannis Mallis, general manager for Novo Nordisk Mexico, recognized the commitment of the City of Mérida by joining this project that will continue to attend, but also stop the growth of that disease.

The project, he said, will also allow to create greater awareness about the disease and develop the necessary infrastructure to offer high quality treatments and lower the prevalence of that evil, focusing on the combat of obesity, one of the greatest risk factors of diabetes.

In his message before representatives of the Pharmaceutical Novo Nordiks, promoter of the project;Of civil society and academia, the municipal president María Fritz Sierra stressed the importance of joining “cities changing diabetes” because with the support of specialists the authorities can define the best strategies and actions prioritizing the well -being of families and respecting oneof the main human rights, which is the right to health.

"Today Mérida and the Meridanos are making history," he said, "and today the pride is that we work in a real governance for the benefit of citizens."

He indicated that authorities, social and private sector, national and international academic and scientific communities we will work in coordination to continue strengthening health in the municipality of Mérida to combat obesity and diabetes, diseases that affect 425 million people worldwide.

He explained that the City Council will work through an Advisory Council, which allows the program to be permanent and transcends the different municipal administrations.

Fritz Sierra emphasized that after Mexico City, Mérida is the first city to join the Novo Nordiks project to combat diabetes.

He said that the above puts Mérida at the height of other large cities in the world for their actions in favor of the population's well -being.

"We are worried about the incidence of these diseases and we are not crossed with arms, but we take concrete and effective actions," he said.We are not willing to see our children and adolescents suffer the consequences of diabetes, which can cause disabilities nor do we want to see our productive force weaken.

It was urgent that we do what corresponds to us in terms of prevention work, especially if we take into account the prevalence of obesity in Yucatán and the country in general, he said.

He recalled that the City Council has been working for a long time in favor of health, through Cemanud and the “Medical at home” program, but that work will be strengthened by joining the project “Cities changing diabetes”.

He added that through “doctor at home” the current administration has already served 10,000 people, including many who cannot move to a hospital because they have lost a leg or sight because of diabetes.

To these municipal actions, he continued, the mobile application of the Mercadifto, a municipal nutrition guide, the creation of a network of more than 1,000 teachers who address food education issues with their students, among other strategies.

Ileana Fajardo Niquete, Chief of Nutrition of the Municipal DIF, reported that the members of the Municipal Health Council that will be part of the Diabetes Committee of the City of Mérida will be the Mexican Association of Diabetes of the Southeast, Mexican Institute of Social Security, Yucatan Delegation;UniversityModel, Universidad Anáhuac Mayab, Autonomous University of Yucatán, Faculties of Medicine, Chemistry and Psychology of the UADY;Regional High Specialty Hospital of the Peninsula, Colegio de Nutriologos de Yucatán, Health Services of Yucatán, Marist University, Faculty of Nursing of the UADY;Hospital O'horán, Civestav Mérida and Regional Research Center “Dr.Hideyo Noguchi ”of the UADY.

He stressed that the members of the committee work on the content of the memorandum of understanding that will be signed shortly and that will establish the commitments of the city of Mérida before the initiative of "city changing diabetes".

The event also participated in Björn von Würden, director of Public Affairs for Novo Nordisk Mexico;Zulema Cantillo Ciau, director of the Uady Faculty of Chemistry;Alejandra Beristain Navarrete, vice president of the Colegio de Nutriologos yucatán chapter;Carolina Cárdenas Sosa, General Coordinator of Community Policy, among other people and Loreto Villanueva Trujillo, director of the Municipal DIF.

In addition to Mérida and Mexico City, cities such as Copenhagen, Denmark;Houston, United States;Shanghai and Tianjin, China;Vancouver, Canada;Rome, Italy;Johannesburg, South Africa;Leicester, England, among others.