AXA joins the fight against diabetes in Italy

Wednesday, November 14th was World Diabetes Day. AXA Assicurazioni, Italian Group's entity, was ready, willing and able, launching pilot product for the prevention of this illness. AXA Assicurazioni decided to support the 300 events to provide information on and help prevent diabetes, which just took place in Italy on World Diabetes Day*. This international campaign was initiated in response to the increase in the incidence of diabetes worldwide: over 170 million people suffer from diabetes today and this figure is expected to double by 2030.

The company's involvement in this campaign is in line with its overall desire to offer solutions, whenever possible, for major public health issues. In 2003 AXA Assicurazioni was the first company in Italy to offer a personalized medical check-up to its health insurance customers based on their age and gender. Today, the company wants to bolster its prevention-related activities, particularly through test contracts in which prevention is a major feature.

In Italy, 100,000 cases of diabetes are diagnosed each year. Treatment for this illness alone represents 6.65% of the country's total healthcare costs. Yet diabetes can be easily detected, as long as patients undergo annual preventive check-ups. Unfortunately, the Italian public healthcare system is less and less inclined to provide cover for this type of care.

Following WHO recommendations, AXA Assicurazioni offers a series of specialized medical exams, promoting direct contact with customers. Its call center, managed in partnership with AXA Assistance, personally contacts customers to schedule appointments directly. In addition, customers can check their medical files online at any time. These files are regularly updated by assistance staff and include a detailed chronological report of appointments and exam results.

(*) World Diabetes Day, sponsored in part by the World Health Organization (WHO), is celebrated in over 150 countries. It was initiated in 1991 in response to the dramatic rise in the incidence of diabetes worldwide (in 2030 an estimated 370 million people in the world will suffer from diabetes, a 110% increase compared with 2003).