Seattle – For nearly two decades, Dr. Stewart B. Harris of the University of Western Ontario has been searching for answers to why Native Canadians are experiencing an unprecedented epidemic of type 2 diabetes. "Many indigenous and developing country populations suffer from diabetes at rates 3 to 5 times that of the general population," said Harris. "Yet, there is very little data and research on how best to prevent and treat diabetes in these populations."

In Australia, Dr. Paul Zimmet leads a research team studying the genetic and environmental contributions to type 2 diabetes and obesity among Pacific and Indian Ocean populations – specifically Micronesians, Polynesians and Melanesians and migrant Asian Indians, Chinese and Creoles – who have some of the world's highest prevalence and incidence rates of type 2 diabetes.

"The rapid growth of diabetes in underserved populations is set not only to have huge health problems for those nations but has the potential to bankrupt their economies, not only through the cost of healthcare but owing to effects on national productivity through diabetes and its complications in persons in the workforce," observed Zimmet, who is director and CEO of the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne.

Seven out of the top 10 countries with the largest diabetic populations are located in the developing world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Countries such as India and China with the largest populations of people with diabetes are experiencing rapid increases in the prevalence of the disease. Currently, 31 million people in India and 20 million people in China have diabetes. By 2030 these numbers are projected to jump to 79 million people in India and 42 million people in China.

"There's a huge need to look at minority and developing country populations that haven't traditionally been included in diabetes research," said Pierre Lefèbvre of Belgium, immediate past president of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). "Diabetes has been long perceived as a disease of affluence. However, diabetes is spreading most rapidly in poorer countries."

The urgent need for this research spurred the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI, now PNDRI) to organize the Warren G. Magnuson Congress for a Global Diabetes Alliance, which will be held in Seattle Oct. 22–23. With more than 100 of the world's leading diabetes experts attending from more than 20 countries and six continents, the Congress will be the largest, most-international and most multidisciplinary meeting ever convened to focus on the prevention, treatment and cure of diabetes specifically in underserved populations.

"The Magnuson Congress is bringing together a group of experts willing to work on a major health problem with open minds. This is unlike most scientific conferences, which have predetermined agendas and often outcomes," commented Dr. Peter Butler, director of the Larry L. Hillblom Islet Research Center at the University of California at Los Angeles.

Adds Dr. Juliana Chan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong: "The Magnuson Congress will bring together thought leaders from all over the world who share a common goal to fight diabetes through research, care and advocacy. The Congress provides a much-needed opportunity to learn from one another and to join forces to fight this global epidemic."

The key goal of the Congress will be to outline a collaborative, multidisciplinary scientific research agenda with a particular focus on underserved populations, said Dr. Paul Robertson, incoming president-elect of the American Diabetes Association and PNRI president and scientific director.

The agenda will help guide the formation of a global diabetes alliance. The alliance's first priority after its launch will be to raise the funds necessary to implement the research agenda.

"The response from top experts from around the world to develop a global, multidisciplinary, collaborative endeavor focused on clinical research on diabetes has been overwhelming," Robertson said. "Everyone recognizes the pressing need to expand clinical research of diabetes, especially in populations that are disproportionately impacted by the disease but not typically included in research. This approach will extend clinical research to areas of the world in need and broaden our knowledge of the causes and manifestations of diabetes overall. This will lead to greater insights into the disease and better approaches to its prevention and treatment."

About the Warren G. Magnuson Congress for a Global Diabetes Alliance

The Congress is named after the late U.S. Senator Warren G. Magnuson, who represented Washington State in the U.S. Senate longer than anyone else in history. Throughout his tenure, Senator Magnuson was committed to innovative health policy. One of the first bills introduced by Senator Magnuson led to the foundation of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Senator Magnuson also secured millions of dollars in federal appropriations to support the NIH and helped to establish the Pacific Northwest Research Institute (previously known as the Pacific Northwest Research Foundation). Senator Magnuson died of complications from diabetes.

The Magnuson Congress aims to create a scientific research agenda emphasizing clinical research on diabetes. The Congress will serve as a catalyst for a global diabetes alliance that will secure funding for and oversee the research agenda. The Magnuson Congress is supported by funding from the U.S. Congress. For more information please visit www.pnri.org/news/2007/magnuson.

About PNRI

PNRI is a 50 year-old independent, non-profit biomedical and clinical research center located in Seattle and founded by Dr. William Hutchinson, Sr., who also founded the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The mission of PNRI is to support and conduct basic and clinical studies that lead to the prevention and cure of diabetes and its complications. PNRI's acclaimed team of 85 scientists is committed to applying scientific discoveries to the real improvement of health for people and families living with diabetes. For more information on PNRI and diabetes, please visit www.pnri.org.