WHO: The American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, University Health System, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, city, county and state officials
WHAT: A world-renowned San Antonio landmark, the Tower of the Americas, and a world-renowned diabetes treatment and research center, the Texas Diabetes Institute (TDI), will join the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Sydney Opera House and hundreds of other world landmarks in being bathed in blue light for the Third Annual United Nations World Diabetes Day. Blue is the official color of World Diabetes Day and signifies the fight against diabetes around the world.
WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14
WHERE: Texas Diabetes Institute – University Center for Community Health
701 S. Zarzamora
San Antonio 78207
VISUALS: A press conference, including reading of city, county and state proclamations in support of diabetes care and research, will take place at the TDI at 5:30 p.m. The TDI will be illuminated in blue first, and then members of the audience will be asked to direct their attention downtown as the Tower of the Americas is bathed in blue. The event also celebrates the TDI’s 10th anniversary of providing information and care necessary to prevent diabetes and assisting diabetics with timely help to avoid the onset of serious complications. Groundbreaking research and treatment strategies have come from the TDI in those first 10 years. TDI, a University Health System facility, is a major diabetes treatment and research venue for faculty of the UT Health Science Center.
WHY: Diabetes is of major concern in Bexar County. According to local statistics, diabetes in Bexar County is twice the national average. An estimated 240,000 individuals, 14 percent of the 1.4 million population of San Antonio, live with diabetes. It is estimated than an additional 68,000 people have undiagnosed diabetes. In addition, the number of Hispanics with diabetes is 82,518 and the number of African Americans with diabetes is 28,170. More than 1 million Texans are living with diabetes and an additional 440,000 have not been diagnosed, it is estimated.
In recognizing World Diabetes Day in San Antonio, the organizations honor the support they have received from South Texans to fight the epidemic through policies to prevent, treat and cure the disease.
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio is the leading research institution in South Texas and one of the major health sciences universities in the world. With an operating budget of $668 million, the Health Science Center is the chief catalyst for the $16.3 billion biosciences and health care sector in San Antonio’s economy. The Health Science Center has had an estimated $36 billion impact on the region since inception and has expanded to six campuses in San Antonio, Laredo, Harlingen and Edinburg. More than 25,600 graduates (physicians, dentists, nurses, scientists and other health professionals) serve in their fields, including many in Texas. Health Science Center faculty are international leaders in cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, aging, stroke prevention, kidney disease, orthopaedics, research imaging, transplant surgery, psychiatry and clinical neurosciences, pain management, genetics, nursing, dentistry and many other fields. For more information, visit www.uthscsa.edu.