WAM Abu Dhabi, Mar 02, 2013 (WAM)--Khaleej Times. On a week-long royal visit to the UAE, Prince Joachim of Denmark praised the country's efforts to control the rise in diabetes.

"Diabetes is a pandemic that covers, unfortunately, a very high proportion of every population. One of the important factors to the spread of the disease is lack of awareness and knowledge. Modern lifestyle as a whole is a contributing factor," said Joachim, who is a lifelong supporter in the fight against diabetes and Protector of the Danish Diabetes Association.

The prince, who last year opened the European Diabetes Leadership Forum in Copenhagen, visited the regional headquarters of Novo Nordisk to review the contribution it has made to the fight against the disease in the UAE and the wider region.

The company has been working closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the medical profession to raise awareness of the importance of being screened. It supported a national screening strategy in 2011 that saw more than 2,500 people tested across the UAE and holds an annual Walkathon on World Diabetes Day on November 14 an initiative aimed at raising awareness of the disease.

"Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is founded on the science of diabetes. The company supports those who are diagnosed with it. It has a quest to fight diabetes and eliminate it. Until a cure has been found, there is a need to spread knowledge about it, inform and broaden awareness," he said.

WAM/MN