World Diabetes Day: An Initiative to Diagnose and Detect Early and Provide Affordable Care and Support

The World Diabetes Day is observed each year on November 14. The day is observed to raise awareness about the risk factors of diabetes and for need to early detection.

Governments around the world are undertaking various awareness campaigns and are supporting the efforts of various institutions and professional organizations to prevent and diagnosis as well as seek early treatment of diabetes.

The World Diabetes Day

Passed Through the Resolution by the United Nations

In 1991, the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization formed the World Diabetes Day with regards to increasing concerns about the growing health threat posed by diabetes. In 2006, with the passage of resolution by the United Nations, the World Diabetes Day came to be observed as an official United Nations Day every year on November 14.

The Term "Diabetes"

The term "diabetes" was first coined by Aretaeus of Cappadocia (81-133 AD). The word mellitus (honey sweet) was later added by Thomas Willis of the United Kingdom in 1675 after rediscovering the sweetness of urine.

The Theme "Education to Protect Tomorrow"

The theme for 2022 on the World Diabetes Day is "Education to Protect Tomorrow". It focuses on activities that highlights the necessity to give quality education on diabetes to healthcare professionals and to those people living with diabetes. Also, it aims to draw attention to various issues of importance pertaining to diabetes and raise awareness about diabetes to the public in general. The World Diabetes Day is also the largest diabetes awareness campaign in the world to reach a worldwide audience of more than 1 billion people in above 160 countries.

Importance of Healthcare Professionals in the Fight Against Diabetes

Early Diagnose and Detection

The people getting affected by diabetes is increasing alarmingly and it is putting enormous stress on the healthcare system and professionals. It is important for healthcare professionals to diagnose and detect the ailment in the initial stage so that the affected patient can be provided with best possible treatment and care. And, above all, the infected person should be provided with basic instruction to deal with their condition and take precautions in their food habits to stay healthy and avoid any further difficulties.

Initiatives by International Diabetes Federation

The International Diabetes Federation is providing learning opportunities for people battling with diabetes. People effected with diabetes can join the free interactive courses online and understand their condition and manage it properly. And, the IDF School of Diabetes is offering healthcare professionals free online courses that will help with various features of diabetes management and treatment.

The Blue Circle, A Global Symbol for Diabetes

The blue circle is the global symbol for awareness on diabetes and is the logo of the World Diabetes Day. The International Diabetes Federation chose the blue circle because in many cultures, a circle symbolizes life and health. Further, the circle represents the unity that is needed to fight diseases like diabetes.

Why Is It Important to Cure Diabetes?

Diabetes can make a person feel fatigued and extremely hunger and it can lead to various ailments like stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and blindness. The complications related to diabetes leads to poor quality of life and it increases the chances of early death. Recently, it has also shown to increase some forms of cancer.

How to Prevent Diabetes?

We can prevent diabetes by losing extra weight, which will help in reducing the risk of diabetes. Regular physical activity is very important to keep a check on diabetes. Eating green vegetables will provide vitamins, minerals and carbohydrates that will have significant benefits to maintain blood sugar levels.
The World Health Organization on its part to fight against diabetes has committed to support all countries in promoting and implementing various policies, legislations, and other regulatory measures to decrease the risk associated with diabetes and to provide affordable care to people suffering with diabetes.

Some Important Data and Facts

According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas, there are 537 million adults (1 in 10) having diabetes in 2021. This number is expected to increase to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. And, nearly 1 in 2 adults (44%) suffering from diabetes continue to be undiagnosed (240 million). In 2021, diabetes caused 6.7 million deaths. Above all, in 2021, diabetes was responsible for huge expenditure of at least $966 billion in healthcare, which is 9% of the worldwide total spent on the healthcare system.