Health care disparities refer to differences or inequities in access and outcomes of health services. In the United States, these disparities for many chronic health conditions, including diabetes, are a growing national concern. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 24 million people — almost 8 percent of the U.S. population — have diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.

To address the growing problem of health care disparities in the context of type 2 diabetes in the United States among low–income and underserved adult populations, The Merck Company Foundation — the philanthropic arm of Merck & Co., Inc. — launched The Alliance to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes (Alliance) with a commitment of $15 million through 2013.

The Alliance aims to help decrease diabetes disparities and enhance the quality of health care by improving prevention and management services. The Alliance will work with national, regional and community partners to develop and implement comprehensive, evidence-based diabetes programs that will:

• Apply proven, community-based and collaborative approaches to address health care disparities related to type 2 diabetes among low-income and underserved adult populations
  
  
• Enhance communication between patients and health care providers; mobilize community partners and stakeholders at the national and state levels; and assist health care organizations to decrease disparities in diabetes care
  
  
• Increase public awareness of health care disparities and diabetes
  
  
• Promote collaboration and information exchange to strengthen the efforts of interested stakeholders and organizations around the country that share the vision and goals of the Alliance
  
  

On February 25, 2009, The Merck Company Foundation announced five programs that will be supported through the Alliance in selected communities around the country. These communities are: Camden, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas; Fort Washakie, Wyoming and Memphis, Tennessee.

The Foundation will work with an independent third-party organization to evaluate the impact of the Alliance and its programs. A key goal of the Alliance is to disseminate important findings to aid in the development of comprehensive prevention and management programs to help improve the quality of health care for adults who have or are at risk for diabetes.

If you have questions about the Alliance or its programs, please contact The Merck Company Foundation at +1-908-423-2042.

The content on this page was last modified on September 15, 2009.

Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, and Schering-Plough Corporation, Kenilworth, NJ, USA, are now one company. We have combined our global operations under the name Merck & Co., Inc. We are working to update our corporate responsibility Web site to reflect our new, combined, global organization.