World Diabetes Day 2019! Diabetes: Protect your Family”

World Diabetes Day is celebrated each year on 14 November. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) started World Diabetes Day in 1991 in response to the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. It has since grown to become a globally celebrated event and an official United Nations (UN) awareness day. The campaign is represented by a blue circle logo that was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the un resolution on diabetes.

World Diabetes Day aims to:

• Be the leading platform to promote diabetes advocacy efforts
• Promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a serious global health threat
• Draw attention to the key issues and keep diabetes firmly in the global public and political spotlight

Theme and Key Message

November 2019 marks the second year of a two-year theme dedicated to “The Family and Diabetes”. The tagline for the campaign this year is “Diabetes: Protect your Family”. Research conducted by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) revealed than many parents would struggle to spot the warning signs of diabetes in their own children.

Although the majority of people surveyed had a family member with diabetes, an alarming four-in-five parents would have trouble recognizing the warning signs. One-in-three wouldn’t spot them at all. The aims of the campaign are to raise awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family and to promote the role of the family in the management, care, prevention and education of the condition.

DISCOVER

DETECTING DIABETES EARLY INVOLVES THE FAMILY TOO:

• One in every two people with diabetes is undiagnosed. Early diagnosis and treatment is key to helping prevent or delay life-threatening complications
• If type 1 diabetes is not detected early, it can lead to serious disability or death. Know the signs and symptoms to protect yourself and your family

PREVENT

PREVENTING TYPE 2 DIABETES INVOLVES THE FAMILY TOO:

• Many cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Reducing your family’s risk starts at home
• When a family eats healthy meals and exercises together, all family members benefit and encourage behaviours that could help prevent type 2 diabetes in the family
• If you have diabetes in your family, learn about the risks, the warning signs to look out for and what you can do to prevent type 2 diabetes and complications of diabetes
• Families need to live in an environment that supports healthy lifestyles and helps them to prevent type 2 diabetes
• Brief questionnaires are simple, practical and inexpensive ways to quickly identify people who may be at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and should consult a health professional

MANAGE

CARING FOR MY DIABETES INVOLVES MY FAMILY TOO:

• Managing diabetes requires daily treatment, regular monitoring, a healthy lifestyle and ongoing education. Family support is key
• All health professionals should have the knowledge and skills to help individuals and families manage diabetes
• Education and ongoing support should be accessible to all individuals and families to help manage diabetes
• Essential diabetes medicines and care must be accessible and affordable for every family.

Diabetes Facts and Figures

• 425 million adults (1-in-11) have diabetes
• The number of people with diabetes is expected to rise to 522 million by 2030
• 1 in 2 people with diabetes remain undiagnosed (212 million)
• 3 out of 4 people with diabetes live in low and middle income countries
• Over 1 million children and adolescents have type 1 diabetes
• 1 in 6 births is affected by high blood glucose (hyperglycaemia) in pregnancy
• Two-thirds of people with diabetes are of working age (327 million) q Diabetes caused 4 million deaths in 2017
• Diabetes was responsible for at least $727 billion in health expenditure in 2017 – that’s greater than the defence budgets of the US and China combined!

MORE INFORMATION: WORLD DIABETES DAY.ORG

To tackle diabetes, strengthen primary health care and empower families