On 2 November, Belgrade became the 30th city to join the Cities Changing Diabetes network at a launch event attended by the Mayor of Belgrade, the Danish Embassy and Novo Nordisk Serbia. At the event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed, and the "Open the Blue Circle" project was launched.
At the event, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed, and the
"Open the Blue Circle" project was launched. This project,
which is the first joint initiative between the partners, also
includes the Faculty of Medicine of the Belgrade University, the
Diabetes Association of Serbia and the Diabetes Association of
Belgrade.
The name of the initiative – Open the Blue
Circle – refers to the intention of the project to break the vicious
circle caused by urban diabetes and to open the city to the needs of
the inhabitants who are affected by urban living. It also alludes to
the fact that the platform is open to all who wish to contribute to
making the city a healthier place to live. The online platform, which
will be launched on World Diabetes Day (14 November), will provide
users with information about diabetes and specially designed walking
routes in the city. Participants who sign up to the initiative can
"collect kilometres" by walking the routes. These kilometres
will then be converted into financial donations from Novo Nordisk to
aid in the fight against diabetes in Belgrade. The funding will be
dedicated to a comprehensive study by the Faculty of Medicine on
improving the work of primary diabetes care units in the capital.