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SUMMARY Type 2 diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases are a growing public health challenge globally. An estimated 285 million people, corresponding to 6.4% of the worlds adult population, has diabetes, which is expected to reach 552 million by the International Diabetes Federation in 2030. A much larger segment of the worlds population, approximating 79 million individuals in the USA alone, has prediabetes. Globally, a relatively small percentage of those with diabetes or prediabetes are diagnosed with the potential for developing chronic complications. To address this epidemic, governments, in concert with the private sector, need to set policies that promote healthy nutritional and agricultural policies, favor modifications in the environment that encourage greater physical activity and make prevention affordable for all citizens at high risk. The public health sector has the charge of translating evidence-based findings into practical, accessible and cost-effective programs and monitoring the process to continuously improve prevention initiatives. The clinical sector has the formidable challenge of screening and identifying those at high risk and referring them to accredited intervention programs. There is a need to explore additional cost-effective interventions that are customized to meet individual needs that can be offered at the community and clinical levels. Thus, all three sectors, government, public health and clinical, each have a critical role in this process and by working in a partnership, ought to create the necessary synergies essential for making substantial forays in the prevention of Type 2 diabetes.

SUMMARY  The Implementation of A European Guideline and Training Standards for Diabetes Prevention (IMAGE) guidelines are structured standards for diabetes prevention. The IMAGE Toolkit, which is based on these standards, gives useful recommendations for preventive care programs. In brief, based on systematic reviewing of the evidence, the guidelines recommend that case-finding should follow a step-wise procedure using risk questionnaires and oral glucose tolerance testing. Interventions supporting lifestyle changes should be supported by intersectoral strategies that create health-promoting environments. In order to implement the guidelines and to advance international correspondence, a web-based network known as ‘‘who is active in prevention’ was established, which facilitates the exchange of knowledge and experience in the field of prevention.