Merck Foundation's five-year plan to close diabetes care disparity gap

The Merck Company Foundation, the philanthropic arm of US drug major  Merck & Co, has announced the launch of The Alliance to Reduce  Disparities in Diabetes, a new initiative designed to improve health  care delivery among those populations most at risk - African-Americans,  Hispanics and Native American adults. The US Department of Health and  Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the  Office of Minority Health joined the Foundation in support of the  Alliance's goal to mobilize community-based partners and enhance the  delivery of proven, collaborative approaches that can close gaps in  diabetes care.

Research shows insufficient health resources, poor disease management,  inadequate patient education and support, as well as individual  perceptions about how difficult it is to manage and prevent diabetes all  contribute to health care disparities. These problems are more acute in  low-income, disadvantaged communities. The initiative will engage a  range of health care stakeholders, including patients, providers and  health system leaders, to assist at the grassroots level in five US  communities and mobilize allies at the national and state levels.

Becoming a mobilizing force