World diabetes day (WDD) is the primary global awareness campaign focusing on diabetes mellitus and is held on November 14 each year. It is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and each World Diabetes Day focuses on a theme related to diabetes. Type 2 Diabetes is largely preventable and a treatable non-communicable disease that is rapidly increasing in numbers worldwide, whereas Type 1 Diabetes is not preventable but can be treated with insulin shots.
The Diabetes Day November 14, marks the birthday of Fredrick Banting who is a medical scientist who co-discovered Insulin and was the first person to use it on humans in 1922.
World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organisation in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006 with the passing of the United Nations Resolution 61/225.This campaign has reached a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries .The campaign draws our attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight. The World Diabetes Day campaign aims to be the:
• Platform to promote IDF advocacy efforts throughout the year
• Global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global health issue.
The campaign is represented by a blue circle logo that was adopted in 2007 after the UN Resolution on diabetes was passed .The blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes awareness .It signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic. “Going blue” is another global event to mark the day, where people wear blue and landmark buildings and monuments around the world are lit up in blue, to help spread awareness of the day.
World Diabetes Day 2017
The theme of World Diabetes Day regularly changes. The theme of World Diabetes Day (WDD) 2017 – 14 November – is Women and Diabetes, with the slogan “Our right to a healthy future”. One in 10 of the women in the world have been diagnosed with diabetes (IDF 2017). The key message of this day will be- All women with diabetes require affordable and equitable access to care and education to better manage their diabetes and improve their health outcomes.
Supporting facts about the theme
• There are currently over 199 million women living with diabetes. This total is projected to increase to 313 million by 2040.
• Two out of every five women with diabetes are of reproductive age, accounting for over 60 million women worldwide.
• Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths per year.
• Women with type 2 diabetes are almost 10 times more likely to have coronary heart disease than women without the condition.
• Women with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of early miscarriage or having a baby with malformations.(IDF 2017)
Strategies of 2017 Diabetes campaign
• Promote the importance of affordable and equitable access for all women at risk for or living with diabetes to the essential diabetes medicines and technologies
• Self-management education and information required to achieve optimal diabetes outcomes and strengthen capacity to prevent type 2 diabetes in women.
What we can do?
Provide awareness to improve the lives of people with diabetes and those at risk.
Reference
- The NCD Alliance(2017)Women and Diabetes Our Right to a healthy future, accessed on 7 November 2017, https://ncdalliance.org/news-events/news/world-diabetes-day-2017-theme-announced-woman-diabetes
- WHO(2017) Promoting health through the life-course, , accessed on 7 November 2017,http://www.who.int/life-course/news/events/2017-world-diabetes-day/en/