Tesco, the UK’s biggest retailer, has teamed up with charity group Diabetes UK to launch a new campaign aimed at improving self-management of type 2 diabetes.
Under the initiative, diabetes information packs will be available in Tesco stores throughout the UK. The packs will cover everything from diet, exercise and medication to pregnancy, travel and weight management.
Details of health complications associated with the condition will also be included, as well as a leaflet detailing the 15 essential health checks everyone with type 2 diabetes should expect to receive.
The move comes in response to latest statistics from the National Diabetes Audit showing that just a fifth of type 2 diabetes sufferers in England have it under control, putting them at increased risk of serious, long-term complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness and kidney failure.
Barbara Young, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said: “We face a situation where a huge number of people now have type 2 diabetes but many of them are not given the information they need to keep it under control. This is fuelling high rates of diabetes-related complications and ultimately leading to thousands of people a year dying before their time.
“By giving people with Type 2 diabetes advice about lifestyle, self management and information about the healthcare they are entitled to, we can make people better equipped to take control over their own condition.”
The campaign is part of a partnership that aims to raise £10million for both people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and those at high risk of developing the metabolic disorder.
Tesco and Diabetes UK say they will also put funds towards groundbreaking research into a vaccine for type 1 diabetes.
