Abstract
Background The dramatic increase of type 2 diabetes, particularly in younger people, has developed into a major public health concern of the European Union (EU). Several studies have demonstrated that prevention programmes can significantly reduce the risk of developing diabetes. At the EU level, there is a clear consensus that action is needed now to develop targeted prevention management pro-grammes for type 2 diabetes. Currently several prevention management concepts exist in various European countries which can be implemented in clinical practice. Nevertheless, EU-wide strategies are still lacking. Therefore, initiated by the Technical University Dresden, the IMAGE project was submitted to the European Commission under the call for proposals 2006 for the programme of community action in the field of public health ( 20032008) and recommended for co-funding as one of the largest in the public health sector.
Methods IMAGE stands for "Development and Implementation of A European Guideline and Training Standards for Diabetes Prevention". Its general objective is to improve the ability of EU countries to prevent type 2 diabetes in Europe. Within the project, four specific objectives will be developed and implemented into clinical practice: (1) joint European guidelines, (2) a European curriculum for the training of prevention managers, (3) European standards for quality control of diabetes prevention programmes, and (4) a European e-health training portal for prevention managers.
Results By now, 32 partners from 13 EU member states plus partners from Serbia-Montenegro, the Ukraine and Israel are involved in the project. The project duration is 3 years, starting in May 2007. The partners who are involved in the IMAGE project, building a consortium of expertise, will work in seven work packages to achieve the project's objectives.
Conclusion The development of competent education programmes, as well as the establishment of quality standards for the primary prevention of type 2 diabetes, will significantly enhance the ability of healthcare professionals to respond swiftly to the drastic increase of type 2 diabetes and its burden to society. Implementing the project achievements will be of major importance in both the prevention of diabetes and the promotion of health through addressing health determinants across all policies and activities in Europe.