Honoring Science, Technology and Innovation

Earlier this week, President Obama awarded the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to 13 individuals and one research team in a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.

Of particular interest from a public health perspective was the recognition of Helen Free D.Sc. who, along with her husband, developed the first dip-and-read glucose test.  This innovation provided patients with an inexpensive means to aid in the self-management of diabetes.

The significance of this is underscored by a recent report that estimates more than half of Americans will have diabetes or be prediabetic by 2020 at a cost to the U.S. health care system of $3.35 trillion if current trends go on unabated.  This is not a health problem faced only by developed countries -- according to the World Health Organization, 366 million people around the world will have diabetes by 2030.The WHO site states that "Diabetes is a major threat to global public health that is rapidly getting worse, and the biggest impact is on adults of working age in developing countries."