Theme of World Diabetes Day 14th November 2023- Know your Risk, Know your Response

World Diabetes Day is a global awareness campaign created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization with a concern about the growing health issues posed by diabetes. It is celebrated every year on November 14th, on the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best and John James Rickard Macleod in 1922. In 2006, with the resolution 61/225, World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic disease that is caused when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to the body or the body cannot effectively use the produced insulin and due to this, it leads to concentration of glucose in the blood which is also known as hypoglycemia. There are two types of diabetes-

Type 1 diabetes: this type of diabetes is caused by a lack of insulin production. It was previously known as insulin-dependent or childhood-onset diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by the ineffective use of insulin, which results in excess body weight and less physical activity. It was previously known as non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes.

Till 2016, World Diabetes Day was commemorated by 230 IDF (International Diabetes Federation) member associations with more than 160 countries and territories and with other organizations, companies, healthcare professionals, and many more people living with diabetes and their families.

World Diabetes Day 2022 Theme

This year, the theme of World Diabetes Day 2021–2023 is Access to Diabetes Care: KNOW YOUR RISK,
KNOW YOUR RESPONSE

The theme of third year of World Diabetes Day 2023 Campaign is- Know your Risk, Know your Response

The campaign for 2023 will emphasize the significance of understanding your risk of type 2 diabetes in order to help delay or prevent the condition. It will also highlight the impact of complications related to diabetes and the necessity of having access to appropriate care and information in order to ensure prompt treatment and management.

All people with diabetes who need them should have access to necessary medications, technologies, assistance, and care. Diabetes care and prevention should receive more government funding. There are more than 460 million people with diabetes and millions more who are at risk, and the 100th anniversary of insulin’s discovery provides a unique opportunity for meaningful change.

Every year World Diabetes Day is celebrated with a theme that draws attention to the impact of diabetes and different factors that influence the risk of diabetes and also its complication.

Untreated and unmanaged diabetes can lead to serious life-changing complications which include blindness, amputation, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. According to the records in 2017, there were four million deaths due to diabetes.

Campaign of World Diabetes Day 2022

This year the campaign of World Diabetes Day 2022 is Access to Diabetes Care– Education to protect tomorrow

The second year of the World Diabetes Day 2021-23 campaign is centered around the idea of Education to protect tomorrow . Activities will emphasize the importance of improving health professionals’ and diabetes patients’ access to high-quality diabetes education.

Healthcare systems are being further burdened by the growing number of persons with diabetes. While people with diabetes require access to continued education to understand their condition and carry out the daily self-care necessary to keeping healthy and avoiding complications, healthcare professionals must be trained to recognize and diagnose the condition early and provide the best care.

The World Health Organization states-

Nurses make up 59 per cent of health care staff 

The global health workforce is 27.9 million, 19.3 million of which are skilled nurses 

In 2018 the global nurses shortfall was 5.9 million. 89% of the deficit is concentrated in low- and middle-income countries 

To resolve troubling skill shortcomings by 2030, the number of trained and working nurses needs to rise by 8 percent a year.

Logo of World Diabetes Day

The World Diabetes day is represented by a blue circle logo which was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the UN Resolution on diabetes. This blue circle logo is globally used for diabetes awareness which signifies the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

Facts about Diabetes

*According to the reports approx. 422 million people around the world have diabetes.

*Diabetes is one of the leading serious diseases in the world which causes death.

*There is a third type of diabetes Gestational diabetes which is characterized by hypoglycemia or raised blood sugar with above normal values.

*The more common type of diabetes is type 2 instead of type 1.

*If diabetes is diagnosed and well-managed people can live a long and healthy life.

*The death majorities of diabetes occur in low and middle-income countries.

*Diabetes can cause kidney failure, heart attack, blindness, and amputation.

On this November, World Diabetes Day get aware of diabetes with a follow-up checkup.

Swikriti Dandotia