Confronting a Growing Epidemic

1
Confronting a Growing Epidemic

• Diabetes, Social Responsibility and the Workplace
  
• Geneva Social Observatory Roundtable
• 17 October 2006

2
What is Diabetes?

• Diabetes is a disease that affects how the body
  regulates blood glucose levels
• Body does not produce or use insulin effectively
• Insulin is a hormone that assists in regulating
  blood glucose levels
• There are 3 Types of Diabetes
• Type 1
• Auto-Immune Disease, insulin-dependent, generally
  diagnosed in younger populations
• Type 2
• Insulin is not able to be used effectively,
  chronic conditions can be precursors or
  consequences of Type 2
• Gestational Diabetes
• Occurs during pregnancy when the body produces
  inadequate amounts of insulin,

3
Devastating Complications

• Complications may develop after extended periods
  of poor management
• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Worlds leading cause of blindness
• Diabetic Neuropathy
• Sensory loss or damage to extremities
• Kidney Failure
• Severity depends on duration with the disease and
  frequency varies
• Complications reduce quality of life
• Often occur in persons with Type 1 during the
  height of their participation in the workforce
• Lack of access to proper medical care increases
  the likelihood of costly and painful
  complications

4
Why Diabetes?

• Every 10 seconds someone dies from
  diabetes-related causes
• The number of people dying from chronic disease
  conditions is double that of infectious disease
• By 2025 there will be more then 146 million
  people with diabetes aged 45-59
• Diabetes is linked to
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Stroke
• Obesity
• Lack of physical activity
• Poor nutrition/Malnutrition
• Between 50-80 of people are unaware that they
  have the condition

5
Global Issue

• Problem in both developed and developing
  countries
• Disproportionately affects minorities and
  financially disadvantaged populations
• In 2003, largest numbers of people with diabetes
• India
• China
• United States
• Russia
• Japan

6
How much does it cost?

• In 2002, diabetes costs in the United States were
  more then 92 billion
• China is predicted to lose 558 billion in
  national income due to premature chronic
  disease-related deaths
• Russia estimates that figure at close to 303.2
  billion

7
Why focus on the Work force?

• Age distribution of Persons with Diabetes

8
Key Issues In the Workforce

• Presence of diabetes and chronic conditions has
  many negative impacts
• Productivity losses
• Increased healthcare costs for employers
• Discrimination against employees with chronic
  health conditions
• Gender differences

9
Diabetes Affects the Workforce

• Significant economic burden to employees and
  employers
• Productivity losses directly correlated with
  presence of diabetes in the workforce
• U.S. estimates diabetes-related productivity
  losses at 40 billion
• Latin American study of 25 countries finds that
  costs of lost production were five times higher
  than direct healthcare costs

10
Employer Healthcare Costs

• In addition to productivity losses, the presence
  of diabetes in the workforce increases healthcare
  costs
• 2002 study found that people with diabetes were
  75 more likely to also have CVD
• Persons with diabetes and CVD had annual
  healthcare costs of more then 10,000
• Diabetes complications can
• Prevent working/increase absenteeism
• Impair productivity
• Increase employee discrimination

11
Discrimination

• Due to safety concerns
• Blood glucose fluctuations can impact alertness
• Apprehension towards potential productivity
  losses
• Higher costs of employee healthcare
• Studies show that people with diabetes or obese
  applicants are less likely to be hired

12
Gender Differences

• Diabetes affects males and females, rich and poor
• Diabetes is one of the top 10 killers of women
• More women are entering the workforce than ever
  before
• Accepting part-time and casual positions
• Not available or incomplete healthcare benefits
• Women provide vital household income, but at the
  expense of deteriorating health

13
Consider

• Reduced productivity and increased healthcare
  costs will hurt economies of developing countries
  and communities
• Prevention and management of chronic conditions
  will have a positive impact on the global
  community
• Companies that have started to take practical
  approaches to addressing chronic conditions have
  had profits increase

14
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