Why MELISSA is needed

Diabetes is on the rise worldwide. In Europe alone 60 million people are living with this complex disease. Nearly 36 million people are at risk of developing diabetes if no further actions are taken. This implies that by 2030 more than 10% of the European population could be affected. The impact of such a development is immense: not only are more people at risk of diabetes complications, premature frailty and death, but also health care systems will be stretched to their limits due to rising costs associated with complications and the very diverse treatment of patients. Despite major advances in drug discovery and the development of innovative diabetes care over the last 20 years, not every patient can access or afford it. A growing number of people with diabetes require insulin therapy. This highly complex form of treatment greatly impacts the everyday life of people affected by diabetes and requires substantial effort and continuous commitment on their part. The introduction of AI-powered solutions for personalised treatment and care promises to become a gamechanger. Not only could an estimated 400,000 European lives be saved every year, it could also have a significant economic impact in annually saving €200 billion and 1.8 billion staff hours in Europe alone.