The United Nations (UN)’s World Diabetes Day (WDD) is annually observed across the globe on 14 November to raise awareness about the impacts of diabetes, need for prevention, early diagnosis, proper treatment and equal access to care.
- WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in over 160 countries
Theme:
i.Each year, WDD highlights a specific theme that continues for one or more years.
- The UN theme for WDD 2024-26 is “Diabetes and well-being”.
ii.The WHO theme for WDD 2024 is “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps”.
- The theme highlights the importance of inclusive healthcare, urging governments, health organizations, and communities to work together to reduce inequalities in diabetes care.
Background:
i.WDD was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to address the growing concerns about the health threat posed by diabetes.
- Since 1991, WDD has been observed on 14 November at the global level by the IDF.
ii.On 20 December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/61/225 and proclaimed the 14 November of every year, as a UN Day to be observed annually starting in 2007.
iii.The first-ever UN-recognised WDD was observed on 14 November 2007.
Why November 14?
14 November marks the birthday of Sir Frederick Grant Banting, a Canadian medical scientist who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Herbert Best, an American-Canadian medical scientist in 1922.
- Sir Frederick Grant Banting and John James Rickard Macleod, a Scottish physiologist shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923 for the discovery of insulin.
WDD Logo:
i.The WDD campaign is represented by the blue circle logo.
ii.IDF introduced the blue circle as the universal symbol of diabetes in 2006, for a campaign that resulted in the passage of a UN resolution on WDD.
iii.The logo signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.
Note: In 2023, IDF incorporated the blue circle into its official hummingbird logo.
Diabetes and its types:
i.It is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
- This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) and is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.
ii.Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes) is characterized by a lack of insulin production.
iii.Type 2 diabetes (formerly called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes) is caused by the body’s ineffective use of insulin.
It often results from excess body weight and physical inactivity.
iii.Gestational diabetes is hyperglycemia that is first recognised during pregnancy.
Initiatives to prevent Diabetes in India:
The Government of India (GoI) has launched various steps to fight diabetes as part of the larger National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) under the National Health Mission (NHM)
- It provides technical and financial assistance to states and Union Territories (UTs) through the NHM.
i.A total of 743 District NCD Clinics and 6,237 Community Health Center NCD Clinics have been set up across India to provide local care and make services easily accessible.
ii.A population-wide program has been launched to screen and manage common NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers. It focuses on people over 30, with screenings being a key service offered at “Ayushman Arogya Mandirs”.
iii.The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) makes high-quality generic medicines, including insulin, available at affordable prices, with the support of state partnerships to ensure broader access.
Key Facts:
i.Around 537 million adults(aged 20 -79) globally were living with diabetes. This number is projected to increase to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045.
ii.In WHO South- East Asia region, 246 million people are living with this disease. Diabetes is responsible for 480 000 deaths annually in the region.
iii.According to World Health Organization (WHO),
- Over 60% of people with diabetes in the region are unaware of their status.
- The countries in the WHO South-East Asia (SEA) Region, are making steady progress in the provision of services for the management of diabetes.
- By mid-2024, over 23 million people with diabetes have been enrolled in protocol-based management, with the goal of reaching the SEAHEARTS target of placing 100 million individuals with diabetes and hypertension on standard treatment by 2025.
About International Diabetes Federation (IDF):
President– Prof. Peter Schwarz (Germany)
Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium
Founded – 1950
