World Diabetes Day will take place on Saturday 14 November and aims to raise awareness to the serious impact of diabetes and how to, where possible, avoid or delay the condition and its complications.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has announced that the theme this year will be ‘Understand diabetes and take control’. Phil Riley, IDF’s World Diabetes Day Campaign Manager says, ‘Many people fail to acknowledge the serious threat that diabetes poses to individuals, families and communities’.
‘The World Diabetes Day campaign calls on everyone to understand diabetes and take control’.
DRWF marked the day last year by holding a World Diabetes Day coffee morning to help raise awareness to the condition. Many monuments around the country were lit up blue to mark the day including the London Eye and the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth.
World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on the same day and is led by the IDF and its member associations. It was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to growing concerns about the escalating threat of diabetes worldwide. It is an official United Nation’s Day and is represented by the blue circle logo that is the global symbol of diabetes.
This year will be the first in a five-year campaign that the IDF hopes will help address the growing need for diabetes education and prevention programmes.
People are being encouraged to get involved with World Diabetes Day this year by joining the campaign to light up a blue candle at home, school or in their workplace and by campaigning to get monuments in villages, towns and cities lit up blue on the day.
More information is available from the World Diabetes Day website.