    
The Changing Diabetes® Bus made the largest national tour yet, when visiting 11 cities in Turkey during the months of June and July 2009. The bus tour was kicked off in Istanbul and the bus then visited larger cities such as Ankara and smaller remote towns such as Erzurum and Van, creating a full range of Turkish impressions.
Turkey has 71,5 million inhabitants and a fairly high prevalence of diabetes with an estimated 7,2 percent of the population over 20 years of age, amounting to 3,3 million people out of which approximately half are undiagnosed cases. The bus tour was thus highly anticipated. During the tour, 22,462 people visited the Changing Diabetes® Bus and had their blood sugar measured. Out of these, 4-5 percent had significantly increased blood glucose levels, indicating that they have diabetes. As type 2 diabetes is so closely related to healthy lifestyle and exercise, the Turkish tour whished to create a platform for future action among the visitors. Two engaging nurses and two doctors offered blood sugar measurements at each location and the visitor could thus leave with an indication of whether a lifestyle change would be advisable. Also, the visitors were invited to take the a diabetes risk assessment test in the Changing Diabetes® Bus and learn more about the growing pandemic and what can be done to prevent the current development. The Turkish Changing Diabetes® Bus tour was organised in collaboration with The Turkish Diabetes Association, The Pediatric and Adolesants Type 1 Diabetics Foundation, The Society of Endocrinology and Metobolism of Turkey and The Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Foundation, and it helped raise diabetes awareness among more than 26 million people. | 
