World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It later became an official United Nations day through General Assembly resolution 61/225. The date, 14 November, is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, one of the scientists who discovered insulin.
According to
WHO data, the number of people living with diabetes rose from 200 million in 1990 to 830 million in 2022. In 2021, diabetes was the direct cause of 1.6 million deaths.
Many people do not know they have it. WHO estimates that
more than 40% of people living with diabetes are undiagnosed. Type 2 diabetes can develop slowly, with few or no signs, and may only be diagnosed years after onset, once complications have already appeared.
This year IDF and WHO share the theme “Early action on diabetes.” For IDF, it opens a two-year campaign focused on early diagnosis and reducing risk. IDF estimates that about 1 in 8 people worldwide are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and WHO notes that lifestyle changes can prevent or delay it.
WHO’s campaign asks people to learn the warning signs, such as increased thirst, frequent urination, tiredness and blurred vision, and to seek advice when they notice them. It calls on governments to bring prevention and early detection into primary health care and to widen access to affordable insulin and essential medicines. This supports the first of the global diabetes targets adopted at the World Health Assembly in May 2022: that
80% of people with diabetes are diagnosed by 2030. The campaign uses the hashtags #ActEarlyOnDiabetes and #WorldDiabetesDay.
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