The Challenge... the Mission
The challenge of the unprecedented personal and economic burden of a rapidly aging population with its inherent problem of how to better manage chronic disease has been described as the "next global crisis." This world-wide problem requires world-wide collaboration.
The mission of IDMA is to create an international forum of disease and health management stakeholders in order to share knowledge and to build a collective experience on how to better promote healthy lifestyles and to enhance the management of chronic disease.
The good news is that a growing army of healthcare leaders in 30+ countries has already committed considerable expertise and resources for the purpose of identifying solutions to the approaching crisis. We need to "connect" all this experience/expertise.
For the past decade I have witnessed how the "planting of a few seeds" on the "DM concept" can germinate, sometimes rapidly, to the creation of important research projects and even new legislation favorable to the better management of chronic disease.
Bottom-line, DM is "alive and well" on five continents. We merely need to get connected in order to maximize our "collective experience". IDMA's mission is to facilitate this connection to ensure that the pending crisis of chronic disease does not overwhelm our economies nor threaten the quality of life and productivity of our citizens.
Warren E. Todd, Founder & Executive Director, IDMA
Founding Board Member and Past President/Executive Director, DMAA