BAOJ Diabetes Edson da Silva, BAOJ Diabet 2017, 3: 2 3: 023
Editorial
World Diabetes Day *
Edson da Silva
Group of Studies and Research on Diabetes, Department of Basic Sciences, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Brazil
Editorial Article World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. WDD was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to the rapid rise of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the world [1]. Since 2006 the WDD became an official United Nations Day with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225 [2]. November 14th was chosen as WDD because it is the birthday of Sir Frederick Grant Banting, a Canadian physician and scientist who along with Charles Best is credited by the discovery of insulin, a hormone of critical importance in regulating blood sugar levels [3]. Dr. Frederick Banting used this discovery to treat a 14-year old boy with type 1 DM. In 1923, Frederick Banting and John James Rickard Macleod received the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovery, which forever changed the fate of millions of lives worldwide by increasing their chances for survival [4]. According to IDF, WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. Increasingly the campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the DM world and keeps DM in the public and political spotlight [2]. Campaign activities include diabetes screening programmes, radio and television campaigns, sports events and others. The official WDD date aims to raise awareness of DM, its prevention and the medical care that people with the condition need to avoid devastating complications. To this end, governments, nongovernmental organizations and private businesses are encouraged to increase awareness of the disease, especially among the general population and the media [4]. The IDF develops the WDD campaign each year and awareness is disseminated with campaign support and facilitation by IDF member associations worldwide. The campaign is led by thousands of volunteers and professionals dedicated to improving the lives of people living with or at risk of DM [4]. Each year WDD is focused on a theme related to DM [5], but the theme of WDD regularly changes [4]. Different topics covered in the past have included diabetes and lifestyle, human rights, healthy eating, obesity, the BAOJ Diabet, an open access journal
disadvantaged and vulnerable, and children/teenagers with or at risk for DM [4,5]. In 2014-2015, ‘Healthy Living and Diabetes’ was the theme of WDD. The theme for 2016 ‘Eyes on Diabetes’ focused on the importance of early screening for diabetes [2]. The WDD campaign is represented by an IDF’s blue circle logo that was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the United Nation Resolution on diabetes. 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. The logo is available in over 60 languages and IDF welcomes the widespread use of the WDD logo in order to raise awareness of diabetes. Thus, the logo it’s available directly to the download, from the IDF website (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Logo for the World Diabetes Day. Image of the official World Diabetes Day logo created by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in English language version (From IDF, https://www.idf.org/) *Corresponding author: Edson da Silva, Group of Studies and Research on Diabetes, Department of Basic Sciences, Federal University of Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Campus JK, Edifício DCB-DCBio, Sala 129, CEP: 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Tel: +55(38)35321200; E-mail:
[email protected] Sub Date: May 9, 2017, Acc Date: May 15, 2017, Pub Date: May 15, 2017. Citation: Edson da Silva (2017) World Diabetes Day. BAOJ Diabet 3: 023. Copyright: © 2017 Edson da Silva. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Volume 3; Issue 2; 023
Citation: Edson da Silva (2017) World Diabetes Day. BAOJ Diabet 3: 023.
To realize the campaign around the world the IDF suggests many ways to join in the fun and help raise global awareness of diabetes, such us: 1) Get a local monument to participate in the WDD monument challenge; 2) Organize an event with local politicians to mark World Diabetes Day and draw attention to the theme; 3) Organize or participate in a community activity such as a walk, cycle ride, a human circle event, or a school-based activity; 4) Participate as an individual and lend your support to the global campaign. The theme of WDD 2017 is ‘Women and diabetes - Our right to a healthy future. According to the IDF Diabetes Atlas, 7th edition [7], there is a little gender difference in the global number of people with diabetes for 2015 or 2040. There are about 15.6 million more men than women with diabetes (215.2 million men vs 199.5 million women), but this difference is expected to decrease [7]. The total of women with DM is expected to rise to 313 million by 2040. But still according to the IDF, gender roles and power dynamics influence vulnerability to diabetes, affect access to health services, and health seeking behavior and amplify the impact of DM in women.Globally the DM is the ninth leading cause of death in women, causing 2.1 million deaths each year. Two out of every five women with DM are of reproductive age, accounting for over 60 million women worldwide. In addition, 1 in 7 births is affected by gestational DM [2].
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References 1. (2017) World Health Organization World Diabetes Day 2017. 2. World Diabetes Day 2017 IDF. 3. Tan SY, Merchant J (2017) Frederick Banting (1891-1941): Discoverer of insulin. Singapore medical journal 58(1): 2-3. 4. Villarroel D (2016) World Diabetes Day 2016 Diabetes Voice 62(4): 4-5. 5. Nasri H (2013) On the occasion of the world diabetes day 2013; diabetes education and prevention; a nephrology point of view. J Renal Inj Prev 2(2): 31-32. 6. World Health Organization (2016) Global report on diabetes. 7. IDF Diabetes Atlas-7th edition 2015.
The conditions of socioeconomic inequalities are factors that directly interfere in the management of DM and expose women to the main risk factors of this disease, including poor diet and nutrition, physical inactivity, smoking and alcoholism. Further, stigmatization and discrimination faced by people with diabetes are especially pronounced for female gender. Given the relevance of the theme and the importance of the role of women in today’s society, the WDD 2017 campaign by IDF will promote the importance of equitable access for all women with DM or at risk to develop the disease. WDD is proving to be internationally effective in spreading the message about diabetes. Therefore, we must all support and participate in the campaigns for a better quality of life for people with diabetes, especially women in this year 2017. Join and participate in this campaign, too.
BAOJ Diabet, an open access journal
Volume 3; Issue 2; 023
