Occupying in the northwest corner of South America, Colombia has borders with five countries, including Panama to the north and Brazil to the south, and a Caribbean as well as a Pacific coastline. Colombia, with 45 million inhabitants, has the second-largest population in South America and although it has one of the largest economies on the continent, inequality and unequal distribution of wealth are widespread. Around half the population lives under the poverty line. The authors of this report describe their efforts to improve the prevention and clinical management of type 2 diabetes among communities living in the Caribbean coast region, where poverty, obesity and sedentarism are contributing to a dramatic rise in chronic non-communicable diseases.