$75 Million Program to Fight Diabetes Launches in Israel

A new program has been launched in Israel to transform diabetes care in Israel’s socioeconomically disadvantaged northern Galilee region and to create innovations in diabetes treatment and prevention that can be applied around the world. The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University and The Russell Berrie Foundation announced the creation of The Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE (Social Precision-medicine Health Equity Research Endeavour) in time for World Diabetes Day, which is being marked today, Sunday. One million Israelis are expected to be diagnosed with diabetes by 2040, a disproportionate number of them from the economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse Galilee region. The $75 million, comprehensive 10-year program is supported by a $20 million lead grant from The Russell Berrie Foundation. “For me, as for millions of people around the world, diabetes is deeply personal,” Angelica Berrie, president of The Russell Berrie Foundation, said in a statement. “My late husband, Russ Berrie, was a Type 2 diabetic who experienced the devastating impact of this disease. The Russell Berrie Galilee Diabetes SPHERE draws on Israel’s unparalleled expertise in healthcare innovation to change the landscape for future generations.”