14 November: World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated annually on 14 November. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) established World Diabetes Day in 1991. It became an official United Nations Day in 2006.

World Diabetes Day aims to:

be the platform to promote IDF advocacy efforts throughout the year, and
be the global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global health issue.

The blue circle logo was adopted in 2007, signifying the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

The 2016 theme for World Diabetes Day is ‘Eyes on Diabetes.’ The key messages are (1) screening for type 2 diabetes is important to reduce the riks of complications, and (2) screening for diabetes complications is an essential part of managing all types of diabetes. Early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and treatment is essential.

Diabetes is an increasing issue with 415 million adults living with diabetes in 2015. This is expected to increase to about 642 million by 2040. One in two adults with diabetes is undiagnosed. Many people live with type 2 diabetes for a long time without being aware of their condition. One of the complications with undiagnosed diabetes is the onset of vision impairment and blindness. Up to 70% of type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented or delayed by adopting healthier lifestyles.

With increasing levels of poor nutrition and physical inactivity among children in many countries, type 2 diabetes in childhood has the potential to lead to serious health outcomes. About 12% of the total global expenditure on health is currently spent on adults with diabetes.

Of the over 400 million adults with diabetes, there are about 5 million deaths annually. In many countries, diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, cardiovascular (heart) disease, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation. More than 93 million adults (one in three adults) currently has diabetic retinopathy, which leads to vision loss.

http://www.idf.org/wdd-index/about.html

MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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