Dear Friend of the Ukrainian Diabetes Project,
It is with great enthusiasm that I write this year’s report. There has been a good deal of improvement over the years in terms of diabetes programs in Ukraine that I want to tell you. I would like to think that the efforts of the Ukrainian Diabetes Project have played a part in these improvements. Your contribution, of consistent financial support, has been key in continuing our efforts.
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 400 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.
Kyiv now offers a two-week diabetes camp every summer. Funding for camp is governmentally supported and a change of government may affect camp. We saw two camp sessions canceled in the past 10 years. The good news, however, is that in addition to summer camp there are other opportunities for these children. Winter camps are now offered, as are regular education clinics at the hospital and individual education sessions for very young children using an insulin pump.
The situation, unfortunately, isn’t as bright in the outlying villages where access to medical services is still difficult. In light of these obstacles in areas outside Kyiv, the UDP has made contact with a region in the south of Ukraine, Kherson. We have established a contact with the Kherson Diabetes Group and we will be delivering our first shipment of diabetes supplies before the end of this year. Fifty children will receive one year’s worth of blood testing supplies, syringes, and other insulin devices.
The UDP also shipped supplies for 150 children in Kyiv earlier this year in March. Per their request we will ship again in December for some extra needed help. This year there were 50 new children diagnosed with diabetes in Kyiv. The cost of diabetes supplies continues to be prohibitive to most children and their families and so they continue to be dependent on governmental aid and programs such as the Ukrainian Diabetes Project.
The UDP is committed to continue providing supplies and educational services to these children. We will continue to look for other regions in need that have an infrastructure in place to work with us in receiving supplies and distributing them to the diabetic children in their area. We continue to count on your financial assistance to help us do so. We thank you in advance if you have already sent your contribution. If not, we have enclosed an envelope for you to do so. We have also enclosed a copy of our latest brochure; please share it with others who may be interested in supporting our efforts.
