World Diabetes Day — 14 November
14 November 2006
Brussels, Belgium. In almost every country of the world, diabetes is on
the rise. The current number of people with diabetes stands at over 230
million. The disease is a leading cause of blindness, kidney failure,
amputation, heart attack and stroke. It is one of the most significant
causes of death, responsible for a similar number of deaths each year as
HIV/AIDS.
World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on 14 November. The date
commemorates the birthday of Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles
Best, is credited with the discovery of insulin in 1921.
President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Professor Pierre
Lefebvre outlines the facts: "Over a fifty year period, diabetes has become
a global problem of devastating human, social and economic impact. The total
number of people living with diabetes is increasing by more than 7 million
per year. If nothing is done, the global epidemic will affect over 350
million people within a generation. Unchecked, diabetes threatens to
overwhelm healthcare services in many countries and undermine the gains of
economic advancement in the developing world."
The theme chosen by the IDF and WHO for this year's World Diabetes Day is
'diabetes in the disadvantaged and the vulnerable'. Diabetes representative
organizations worldwide are drawing attention to diabetes health
inequalities and promoting the message that every person with diabetes has
the right to the highest attainable healthcare that their country can
provide.
Diabetes hits the poorest hardest
Contrary to the widely held perception that diabetes is a disease of the
affluent, studies show that the economically disadvantaged are at higher
risk. The global picture reveals that within 20 years 80% of all people with
diabetes will live in low- and middle-income countries, in many of which
there is little or no access to life-saving and disability-preventing
diabetes treatments.
In affluent countries, people who are relatively poor are at greater risk
of type 2 diabetes. In the USA, for example, households with the lowest
incomes have the highest incidence of diabetes.
A cruel choice
The impact of diabetes on these individuals and their families is often
devastating. It is estimated that poor people with diabetes in some
developing countries spend as much as 25% of their annual income on diabetes
care. As IDF President-Elect Martin Silink puts it, "For some, the
consequences of diabetes can be merciless. The economically disadvantaged
are pushed further into poverty and face a terrible choice: pay for
treatment and face catastrophic debt, or neglect their health and face
disability or premature death."
The elderly, ethnic minorities and indigenous communities are all
disproportionately affected by the diabetes epidemic. In developed
countries, people over the age of 65 are almost 10 times more likely to
develop diabetes than people in the 20-40 year age group. In the United
States, it is estimated that one in two people from ethnic minorities born
in the year 2000 will develop diabetes during their lifetime, compared to
one in three for the general population. In Canada, the prevalence of
diabetes among First Nation peoples is three to five times higher than that
of the general population in the same age group. The same is true among
Australian Aborigines.
To do nothing is not an option
The diabetes epidemic threatens to be one of the greatest health
catastrophes the world has ever seen. To coincide with November 14th this
year, the International Diabetes Federation is calling on the global
diabetes community to rally behind the campaign for a United Nations
Resolution on diabetes by signing an online petition at
www.unitefordiabetes.org
and passing a virtual version of the blue circle that has come to symbolise
diabetes.
More information
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an organization of over
190 member associations in more than 150 countries. Its mission is to
promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. IDF leads the
campaign for a UN Resolution on diabetes. See
www.unitefordiabetes.org
World Diabetes Day is an initiative of the International Diabetes
Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Visit
www.worlddiabetesday.org
for further information.
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