    
The Novo Nordisk Changing Diabetes Bus hit Brussels with a bang! Parked in one of the most central and visible squares in Brussels, it was perfectly situated right outside the Palace of Justice, overlooking the city.
The day began with an invitation to all Novo Nordisk Belgian employees to visit the bus. The bus slowly became jam-packed, and most of us were outside talking to people as they walked past about what we were there for.
There was a short interval for a private discussion inside the bus (away from the public) about the necessity of the campaign in Brussels. This included representatives from the IDF, the Belgian Diabetes association, doctors and an advisor to the Belgian Federal Health Minister. It was a huge success with everybody agreeing on the problems that Belgium faces: a very quickly growing type 2 diabetes epidemic amongst the poorer and lesser-educated population.
One of the attendees on the bus for the day was a young nurse who worked in the Intensive Care Unit at a Belgian hospital. She said that hospitals can provide excellent care when the patients are in, but once they leave, they still go back to their old habits.
We had an excellent reception from the public over the whole day. We gained many, many signatures for the petition for a UN Resolution on Diabetes, and lots of local-specific risk factor tests were taken out (these included BMI measurements, family history of diabetes, pregnancy for women and much more). One man was so excited to see such a large advertisement for changing diabetes that he practically ran up saying "What can I do? Can I say something? Can I write something?". It was so good to see that people are very willing to educate themselves on the problems of diabetes.
We are absolutely certain that the Changing Diabetes Bus was a huge success in Belgium - reaching out to many people about the campaign and raising general awareness about diabetes. I'm sure it will continue to have successes wherever it turns up next...
Alex - Novo Nordisk Youth Panellist (Australia)
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