Diabetes is a long-term illness caused by either insufficient pancreatic synthesis of insulin or ineffective body use of insulin. To put in simple words, the function of regulating the blood sugar is done by insulin in our body.
Uncontrolled diabetes frequently results in hyperglycemia, also known as elevated blood glucose or elevated blood sugar, which over time causes major harm to numerous bodily systems, particularly the blood vessels and neurons.
World Diabetes Day
The World Diabetes Day is an important global awareness initiative on diabetes, organized on 14th November every year. Every year a new theme on diabetes-focused aspect is decided for the World Diabetes Day.
Diabetes and well-being is the theme for World Diabetes Day 2024. Everyone with diabetes has an opportunity to live well if they have proper access to diabetic care and support for their health. Managing their diabetes at home, at work, and at school is a daily struggle for millions of people with the disease. They need to be responsible, organized, and resilient, which affects their mental and physical health. According to a recent worldwide survey by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 77% of diabetics have dealt with anxiety, depression, or another mental health issue as a result of their diabetes. Blood sugar is frequently the primary focus of diabetes care, leaving many people feeling overburdened.
Alarming statistics
- Three out of four diabetics have dealt with anxiety, depression, or another mental health issue as a result of their diabetes.
• Diabetes burnout has been experienced by four out of five diabetics.
• Seventy-five percent of diabetics want their healthcare provider to do more to support their mental and emotional well-being.
• 537 million adults (10.5%) worldwide suffered from diabetes in 2021.By 2030, this is expected to rise to 643 million, and by 2045, it will reach 783 million.
• In 1980, 108 million people had diabetes; by 2014, that figure had increased to 422 million. Compared to high-income countries, prevalence has been increasing more quickly in low- and middle-income countries.
• Diabetes is known to cause renal failure, blindness, strokes, heart attacks and lower limb amputation.
• In the period from 2000 to 2019 the age specific death rates surged by 3%.
• Insufficient insulin production by the pancreas or the body’s inability to utilize the insulin it does make are the two main causes of diabetes. - Serious health issues like heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and lower limb amputation can result from diabetes. Urbanization, ageing populations, a decline in physical activity, and rising obesity rates are some risk factors for diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or postponed with a good diet, consistent exercise, a normal body weight, and abstinence from tobacco use. Medication, diet, and routine screening and treatment for complications are all effective ways to manage diabetes. The majority of gestational diabetes cases disappear once the baby is born, but those who have it are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes in the future.
Blood glucose testing is a reasonably priced way to achieve an early diagnosis. People suffering from type 1 diabetes need to take insulin injections regularly for survival.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is one of the most crucial diabetes treatment strategies.
To help control their blood sugar levels, some persons with type 2 diabetes will need to take medications. Injections of insulin or other medications may be among them. Sulfonylureas, metformin, and inhibitors of sodium-glucose co-transporters type 2 (SGLT-2) are a few examples.
In addition to blood sugar-lowering medications, diabetics frequently require blood pressure-lowering drugs and statins to lessen their risk of problems.
To address the effects of diabetes, additional medical treatment may be required,
such as foot care to treat ulcers.
• renal disease screening and treatment; • eye exams to check for retinopathy, which results in blindness.
Particularly in low- and middle-income nations, WHO seeks to encourage and assist the implementation of efficient strategies for the monitoring, prevention, and management of diabetes and its complications.
In order to achieve this, WHO: promotes awareness of the global diabetes epidemic by observing World Diabetes Day on November 14; creates norms and standards for diabetes diagnosis and care; provides scientific guidelines for the prevention of major non-communicable diseases, including diabetes; collects data on diabetes and its risk factors.
WHO introduced the worldwide Diabetes Compact in April 2021 as part of a worldwide drive to support low- and middle-income nations and achieve long-term gains in diabetes prevention and care. World Diabetes Day aims to highlight the topic of diabetes and appeal to everyone to understand the purpose of diabetes day.
The World Health Assembly passed a resolution in May 2021 to improve diabetes prevention and control. The World Health Assembly approved five worldwide goals for diabetes treatment and coverage by 2030 in May 2022. World diabetes day is a major global initiative to organize the thought process about diabetes and make diabetes day effective.
Towards a Healthy World
The purpose of observing World Diabetes Day is to raise awareness, foster understanding, and promote involvement in initiatives and activities that seek to detect diabetes early and start treatment with appropriate lifestyle modifications. Second, teaching and encouraging diabetics to exercise caution and assist them in living a healthy, forward-thinking existence. With the rapid changes in the lifestyle, diabetes day needs to be initiated more frequently aligning with other health events to increase the reach and spread it awareness effectively.
