Merck Company Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck Pharmaceuticals, has announced a new initiative to reduce disparities in diabetes care. According to the Merck website, the initiative will commit $15 million over the next five years for evidence-based diabetes programs that will:

• Apply program models that address health care disparities related to type 2 diabetes and its associated conditions or complications among minority, low-income and underserved adult populations
• Enhance patient and health care provider communication, mobilize community partners, and assist health care organizations to decrease disparities in diabetes care
• Improve the quality of health care for adults who have or are at risk for type 2 diabetes
• Decrease health care disparities related to diabetes and its associated conditions or complications
• Increase public awareness of the problem of health care disparities and diabetes

The initiative is seeking applications from “nonprofit organizations, public or private institutions, universities, colleges, health care organizations, community-based or nongovernmental organizations, as well as state and local governments.” Interested organizations should submit a letter of intent, and selected organizations will be invited to submit a full application. See the Merck website for more.

About author:

Lance Gravlee is Co-Chair of HEAT and Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Florida.