JADEC has launched a new project, the "Roger Moore Project," which aims to support children with childhood-onset diabetes and their families, and to comprehensively improve the environment surrounding them. This project aims to create a society in which children living with the disease can confidently envision their future, and will provide multifaceted support linking education, medical care, and the community.
Challenges in pediatric diabetes and project background
Children diagnosed with diabetes live with physical and mental burdens due to daily blood sugar management and medical care. In particular, immediately after diagnosis, both the child and their parents are likely to feel great anxiety and isolation, and it is not uncommon for it to take time to connect them to appropriate information and support. In addition, there is a lack of understanding about diabetes in schools, so there is a need to create an environment where children can live their school life with peace of mind.
Mr. Roger Moore, who has management experience at an international pharma company, approached JADEC, saying, "I would like to provide ongoing support for the future of children with diabetes in Japan." In response to Mr. Moore's generosity, JADEC established a project team and officially announced the launch of the " Roger Moore Project " today, World Diabetes Day.
Three pillars of our activities
The first year of the Roger Moore Project will focus on children living with type 1 diabetes and their families.
Immediately after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, children and their parents are left with great anxiety and confusion. JADEC has many years of experience in running pediatric diabetes prevention programs, such as pediatric diabetes camps, and believes that " how to support the first step " will have a significant impact on the child's motivation for treatment and self-esteem. JADEC's unique support program will be developed around the following three pillars:
1. Support for children in the early stages of the disease: Creating a space that fosters peace of mind and hope
- Social gatherings to support the anxiety of those in the early stages of the disease (dialogue with medical professionals and people with the same disease, workshops, etc.)
- Production of a series of age-appropriate information tools called "My Body and Diabetes" (working title)
2. Support for parents with children in the early stages of the disease: bridging empathy and information
- Meetings where parents can talk to each other (lectures by medical professionals, building connections between families, etc.)
- Production of a series of developmental stage information tools called "Our Children and Diabetes" (tentative title)
3. Influencing the school environment: Providing peace of mind for all children with diabetes
- Support for education through visiting diabetes classes and the production of supplementary teaching materials for teachers
- Building a comprehensive support system in collaboration with school education-related organizations
Social significance of the activity
The Roger Moore Project complements existing medical support and information provision, while presenting a new approach that focuses on the gap in support immediately after the onset of illness. The novelty and social significance of this project lie in the following points:
- Multi-dimensional support that simultaneously supports emotions, information, and systems
- Designed to foster a sense of confidence, self-affirmation and self-efficacy in children and parents
- A trinity model that brings together medical care, education, and the community
- Nationwide support framework that can be applied to other chronic diseases
This project will not only support children with diabetes, but will also work in conjunction with JADEC 's advocacy activities to create a movement that will have an impact on society as a whole, spreading the value of "a society where people can dream even if they have an illness."
Comment from Mr. Roger Moore
I have had the great pleasure, and privilege of living in Japan for over 40 years including 30 years working with Novo Nordisk. During this time I was fortunate to meet many sincere and dedicated people serving the diabetes community.
One such person was Dr. Akira Takeda who invited me and my family to join the Daisen Summer Camp one year in Tottori prefecture. There we experienced first hand the problems confronting the children and their parents, and we could observe the positive impact of education, fellowship, love and encouragement given by Dr. Takeda and colleagues at Daisen. This was a truly inspiring experience for me.
After retiring I returned to Australia. In recent times, my family and I decided that we wanted to support the Japanese diabetic children and their parents, in a private capacity.
Given the established role of JADEC in improving the lives of people with diabetes, I approached Dr. Seino to discuss how we could work together.
In conclusion we have agreed that the Roger Moore Family Trust in Australia will, over the next 10 years, financially support a series of new projects to combat pediatric diabetes in Japan. I believe that medical treatment, education and community support with lots of love, are the foundation of good care. I hope that our new projects will contribute significantly to furthering these principles.
We want to see smiles and hope on the faces of children and parents, as I saw at Daisen, and to see the children realize their dreams like every other child in society.
Roger Moore
Comment from Chairman Yutaka Seino
We want to create a society where children diagnosed with diabetes can live their lives as they wish, without having to give up their dreams because of their illness. The Roger Moore Project is an initiative that provides support to children and their parents, delivering reassurance and hope, especially during the most anxious period immediately after the onset of the disease. Through this project, medical care, education, and the community will work together to create an environment where children with the disease can grow up without being isolated. We want to give shape to Mr. Moore 's vision and foster the value throughout society that 'you can still dream, even if you have an illness.
Future developments
In 2026, we plan to hold approximately three to five social gatherings across the country for children in the early stages of the disease and their parents. Additionally, a series of information booklets for children and parents is currently in the works, with the aim of completing and releasing them by the end of June 2026. We aim to make these tools widely available through collaboration with medical institutions and educational institutions.
This project will continue for several years, and new support programs, including those aimed at combating type 2 diabetes in children, are planned to be developed in the future.
