Sanofi releases fun, educational app for kids with type 1 diabetes

A new mobile gaming app designed for children, parents and carers of kids with type 1 diabetes in the UK has been launched by global healthcare company Sanofi Diabetes.
The free application, Mission T1D, aims to improve the understanding of type 1 diabetes amongst young sufferers by allowing them to share knowledge and discuss about how best to live with the condition.
Available for Apple iOS and Google Android mobile devices, as well as PCs, the game is set in a school and each level provides a short, practical and illustrated message about coping with type 1 diabetes at school. Educational videos are also provided at the end of each stage, which highlight and explain key topics such as what type 1 diabetes is, what is hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and what constitutes a healthy diet.
Two versions of the Mission T1D game have been produced – the first an interactive one and the second a downloadable version that can be used offline, for example, in school classrooms. To encourage take-up within schools, Sanofi will offer teachers an educational pack that includes the game, as well as a video and quiz, for use in lessons.
Rebecca Reeve, head of professional relations at Sanofi Diabetes, said: “As a company, we have entered the diabetes gaming arena to improve health outcomes for children with type 1 diabetes. We hope that the teachers, parents and carers for whom this game was developed will make it their mission to make this game a success.”
Karen Addingto, chief executive of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), added: “Type 1 diabetes is a complex and serious condition. Furthermore, when the facts about Type 1 diabetes are not appreciated and understood, extra pressure is placed upon those living with it.
“Thankfully, technology can play a big role in broadening awareness and understanding among people of all ages.”