The federal Health and Human Services Department has launched a nationwide campaign to raise women's awareness about diabetes. The program targets women both as a group susceptible to diabetes and also as the family caregiver who can help spot the early signs of diabetes in themselves and their loved ones. About nine million women have diabetes; three million of them don't know it. More women die from diabetes than breast cancer.

The campaign includes local screening events in 10 key cities with a high incidence of diabetes: Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, Indianapolis and Philadelphia. Diabetes brochures, calendars and recipe cards will be distributed in drug and grocery stores in those areas.

Co-sponsors of the campaign are the American Diabetes Association and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. More information about the program, which is called "The Take Time to Care" campaign, is available on a dedicated website: www.fda.gov/womens/taketimetocare/diabetes.

Source:  US Department of Health and Human Services. HHS launches campaign to "Take Time to Care about Diabetes." Press release, May 2, 2002.