Focus on Families: World Diabetes Day

As World Diabetes Day (WDD) approaches on November 14th, it is important to learn more about the day and what it means for people with and without diabetes. Going back to its origins, WDD marks the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin alongside Charles Best in 1922. World Diabetes Day is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign and has a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. With this kind of reach, spreading information and debunking misconceptions about Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes becomes a bit easier. The number of people with diabetes is expected to rise to 522 million by the end of 2060, and the World Diabetes Day campaign helps spread this information, all over the world.

This is what World Diabetes Day is all about! Spreading awareness to people who both have diabetes and do not have diabetes all around the globe. In fact, an estimated one in two people with diabetes (212 million people) remain undiagnosed. Through proper education about diabetes, more people will be able to learn about the symptoms and red flags that come along with Type 1 or Type 2.

This year, World Diabetes Day is focusing on diabetes and family. Diabetes not only affects an individual, but also those around them. According to the World Diabetes Day organization, less than one in four family members of a person with diabetes have access to diabetes education programs. This may not seem like a big deal to most, however, family support in diabetes care has been shown to have a substantial effect on improving health outcomes for people with the disease. Diabetes can also be expensive for the individual and the family. In many countries, the cost of an insulin injection and daily monitoring alone can consume half of a family’s average disposable income, making managing diabetes a life or death decision. In addition to that, affordable access to essential diabetes medicine care are out of reach for too many.

Family and diabetes, and raising awareness about it, is so important to ensure people all over the world are equipped with the proper knowledge to help those facing diabetes. So, this World Diabetes Day, share some facts, debunk some diabetes misconceptions, and spread awareness! Let people know that 80% of cases of Type 2 diabetes is preventable through the adoption of a healthy lifestyle or that diabetes has long term effects which can affect every system in the body. The more people know about both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the more they’ll be able to spot symptoms and educate those around them.

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Learn more about World Diabetes Day: https://www.worlddiabetesday.org/