Tomorrow, Nov. 14, is World Diabetes Day. In December 2006, the United Nations passed a resolution recognizing diabetes as a chronic, debilitating, and costly disease. The resolution designates World Diabetes Day to be observed each year as an official United Nations Day.
the goal of the resolution was to increase awareness about diabetes around the world.
The theme for this year is Diabetes in Children and Adolescents. Diabetes can strike children at all ages. Unfortunately, most are diagnosed late and only when they have diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Due to insulin not being available in many parts of the world, children are dying from diabetes complications.
For 2007 and 2008, the campaign message is that "no child should die of diabetes".
As the worldwide diabetes epidemic rages, children have been affected greatly by diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is growing at a rate of 3 percent per year among children and adolescents, and 5 percent among pre-school children. About 70,000 children each year develop type 1 diabetes. Most in third-world countries will not have access to the medical care and insulin due to geography and logistics of obtaining care.
In addition, obesity has increased among children and adolescents leading to increased rates of type 2 diabetes. Modifying lifestyle risk factors is the best way to minimize diabetes incidence and diabetes complications. Bringing this information forward and keeping it in the spotlight is key to increasing awareness and activism to fight this disease. For more information on this worldwide project, check out the World Diabetes Day website.
Source: www.worlddiabetesday.org
