World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness.
World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses.
The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. This year sees the second of a five-year campaign that will address the growing need for diabetes education and prevention programmes.
World Diabetes Day is celebrated worldwide by over 200 member associations of the International Diabetes Federation in more than 160 countries and territories, all member states of the UN, as well as by other associations and organisations, companies, healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes and their families.
The World Diabetes Day logo is the blue circle – the global symbol for diabetes, which was developed as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign.
The logo was adopted in 2007 to mark the passage of the UN World Diabetes Day Resolution. The significance of the blue circle symbol is overwhelmingly positive. Across cultures, the circle symbolises life and health.
For the general public and people at high risk of diabetes, the focus will be on raising awareness of diabetes and disseminating tools for its prevention. For people with diabetes, the focus will be on disseminating tools to improve knowledge of diabetes to better understand the condition andprevent complications.
For governments and policymakers, efforts will focus on advocacy aimed at communicating the cost-effective implications of diabetes prevention strategies and promoting diabetes education as a core component of diabetes management and treatment.
According to the latest edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas (fourth edition), in Europe there are 55million people living with diabetes aged between 20 and 79.
Unfortunately, the situation will not improve and it is estimated that by 2020 this number is set to increase by 20 per cent to 66million.
This averages to a diabetes prevalence rate of 8.1 per cent of the adult population in Europe and a significant increase from the present diabetes prevalence rate of 6.9 per cent. Malta is no exception to this diabetes ‘epidemic’ and has a national prevalence rate of 10 per cent of the adult population.
An effective National Diabetes Programme is the key to promoting diabetes education and prevention. The 2008 Edition of Diabetes – The Policy Puzzle: Is Europe making progress? shows that only 13 out of the 27 EUmember states have introduced a national diabetes programme or policy framework for thiscondition.
The government is on the right track and should be commended for all its endeavours and efforts in its fight to tackle non-communicable diseases. The Maltese health authorities earlier this year published a Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases in Malta which also includes diabetes. Malta now has a strategic vision on how it intends to tackle non-communicable diseases in Malta – this is indeed very promising and essential.
However, we must also focus our efforts and resources on having a tailor-made, specific and comprehensive National Diabetes Plan in the same way as cancer, another equally important non-communicable disease, which benefits from its own National Cancer Plan.
Postponing this to a later stage can only delay the benefits of such a focused programme for all stakeholders and ultimately and more importantly, the person living with diabetes.
With the high incidence of diabetes in Malta often referred to as the ‘national health condition’, all stakeholders – the government, the Diabetes and Endocrine Centre at Mater Dei, and the patient organisation in Malta (Maltese Diabetes Association) must work collectively and closely with the government and the Ministry of Health to build on the Strategy for Non-Communicable Diseases in Malta and embark on this much-needed National Diabetes Plan for Malta.
This is an achievable mission and the huge advantages of such a programme will definitely outweigh the costs of devising and implementing such a programme. The government expenditure to embark on a National Diabetes Plan should be seen as a national investment to reduce the public and personal cost of diabetes.
While basing its aims and objectives on the strategy set in placeby the government, a national diabetes plan will look into the methodology and details on how this plan would function in the medium- to long-term.
Such a plan would focus on primary prevention aimed at reducing the incidence of diabetes, to ensure early diagnosis and reduce complications, mortality and minimise the impact of diabetes on society. Such a plan would improve the qualityof diabetes treatment and care, ensuring this is accessible with a patient-centred approach.
This would include a structured screening programme for those with a family history of diabetes or at an increased risk. We should look at the positive outcome of the successful Breast Cancer Screening programme and embark on something similar for diabetes.
A National Diabetes Plan will ensure that doctors and nurses working in the diabetes field have ongoing professional development and specialised training for diabetes care personnel.
However, it is useless embarking on such an ambitious and structured plan unless this is sustainable. The benefits of a structured plan reduce the personal, family and societal burden of diabetes.
The general public, particularly those at high risk of developing Diabetes should know the diabetes risks and the warning signs; how to respond to diabetes and who to turn to how to manage diabetes and take control.
Together, by adopting a ‘prevention rather than cure’ approach, we can succeed in reducing the incidence of diabetes and ensure that those living with this condition have a healthy lifestyle.
Mr Delicata is president of the International Diabetes Federation – European Region (IDF Europe) – www.idf.org.