Dear Friend of the Ukrainian Diabetes Project,

With 2008 right around the corner, we would like to take just a few minutes out of your day to report this year’s activities and accomplishments. We are proud to be able to say that the Ukrainian Diabetes Project (UDP) has continued its mission since 1993. It is with great satisfaction that we continue our diabetes programs which have resulted from your invaluable support.

We are pleased to report that through our on-going work with the Diabetes Charity Fund of Kiyiv, we will ship, in December, blood glucose meters and strips for 300 children. The Diabetes Charity Fund will distribute these supplies throughout 2008. This year’s cost to purchase and transport the diabetes supplies amounted to $78,000.00; this included 200 blood testing starter kits and 175,000 strips. This will provide each child with enough strips to check their blood sugar level two times a day. To date the UDP has served nearly 2500 diabetics with medical supplies and services, valued at over $2.0 million dollars.

This summer, the diabetes camp in Kiyiv was especially active. Through sponsorship from Johnson and Johnson, diabetic children from different regions of Ukraine were invited to attend 2 weeks at camp. In the past only children from Kiyiv region were allowed to participate in the Kiyiv diabetes camp. However, through the endless work of Natalia Vlasenko, President of Kiyiv Charity Fund, she was able to network with the diabetes community, health providers and government officials to support children from outside the capital city in attending the diabetes camp. This resulted in twenty-five children from throughout Ukraine and twenty-five children from Kiyiv participating at camp. Here they attended diabetes education sessions to increase their knowledge and awareness about the challenges diabetes presents throughout their life and the importance of self-management of diabetes, while also participating in traditional camp activities.

We are planning to go to Ukraine the summer of 2008 to help assess the needs of children in other regions of Ukraine who may be in need of diabetes supplies. Our goal is to expand our services by the end of 2009. We will report our findings in next years report.

UDP continues to move forward, however none of this would be possible without you and we want you to know just how much we appreciate your support for our efforts. We hope and pray that we can continue to count on your support in this important effort to provide services to the diabetic children in Ukraine.