World Diabetes Day is marked on November 14, on the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea that led to the discovery of insulin in 1922.

World Diabetes Day unites the global diabetes community to produce a powerful voice for awareness and advocacy, engaging individuals and communities to bring the diabetes epidemic under the public spotlight.

‘Healthy living and diabetes’ is the theme chosen for World Diabetes Day theme for 2014 - 2016. This year’s activities and material focus on the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast to help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and manage all types of diabetes, thus managing to avoid complications.

Diabetes is a long-term chronic condition often referred to as the ‘silent killer’. It is estimated that, by 2035, there will be 600 million people with diabetes and a further 450 million at risk of developing the disease.

Diabetes is indeed a global challenge; it was the cause of death of about 5.1 million people last year: one death every six seconds. These are frightening figures indeed.

We should take an active role in the fight against diabetes

It is a challenge also for Malta, which has a high incidence of diabetes, put at about 10 per cent of the population. Over the past months, diabetes was given more prominence on the national health agenda.

Earlier this year, the Department of Health set up a steering group tasked with drawing up a national strategy for diabetes. Several expert groups were formed with the aim of improving the prevention and management of diabetes.

Health Parliamentary Secretary Chris Fearne recently announced that the country should shortly have a national diabetes strategy, which will be launched for consultation.

This will ensure that all stakeholders will be able to air their views to ensure we have: a strategy which is aimed at promoting the health of the entire nation; a structured plan which targets those at high risk through effective screening programmes; a strategy of early diagnosis and management for those who are newly diagnosed; a structured system whereby we ensure medicine, insulin and devices being offered are providing cost-effective treatment; and a multi-disciplinary diabetes team with sufficient human resources within the Diabetes Clinic.

It is really encouraging that, finally, Malta will have its national diabetes plan, which will outline very clearly how the country will manage this long-term chronic condition in the medium to long term ensuring that this plan is sustainable at all times.

I commend the group that is leading this important project.

I have no doubt that the plan will mirror the success of other national plans launched in Malta, such as the national cancer strategy. Indeed, other European countries that embarked on national diabetes plans have reported success.

Eleven members of Parliament, coming from both sides of the House of Representatives, joined forces last May to set up an informal group within Parliament to focus specifically on diabetes.

The medical condition, of course, has no political colours and the bipartisan approach that was adopted by the MPs who worked wholeheartedly to raise awareness on diabetes was truly admirable.

I attended as an observer every sitting of the working group. It was inspiring to witness the united approach adopted by the MPs to genuinely tackle diabetes.

They made it very clear from the onset that they wanted to hear all interested stakeholders: healthcare professionals, NGOs, patients and politicians to holistically understand all the problems and issues being encountered.

The working group was ably led by former health minister Godfrey Farrugia and assisted by the leader of the Opposition, Simon Busuttil (who, incidentally, had suggested the creation of this working group after leading a similar group in the European Parliament) and MPs Marlene Farrugia, Deo Debattista, Franco Mercieca, Claudio Grech, Clyde Puli, Michael Gonzi, Frederick Azzopardi, Marthese Portelli and Claudette Buttigieg.

The working group recently presented a comprehensive report, entitled ‘Health choices, to the Speaker of the House, Anġlu Farrugia, which included several proposals by the working group itself.

The work undertaken by this group will have a positive impact on the national diabetes plan being devised.

Our MPs have demonstrated in a very tangible way they can work together because, collectively, with one common goal, they can achieve more.

The recently-announced study on diabetes by the University of Malta – ‘Saħħtek (health and well-being)’ – is truly commendable as it will provide a cross-sectional health survey across the Maltese islands.

This will ultimately provide precise estimates of the prevalence of diabetes in Malta, both diagnosed and undiagnosed.

The Saħħtek study will also explore the risk factors of diabetes.

I applaud Julian Mamo and Sarah Cuschieri, chairman and project coordinator of the project steering group respectively, for embarking on this very important and much-needed study.

World Diabetes Day should not simply serve as an occasion commemorating just another health condition.

The recent initiatives that have been taken in Malta clearly show that diabetes has been given more prominence on the national health agenda.

This is very positive and encouraging. As a nation, diabetes concerns us all and we should therefore take an active role in the fight against this condition.

The initiatives taken so far are surely a step in the right direction.

Let us truly and genuinely unite to ensure we achieve our goals in the interest of the millions living with diabetes around the world.

Chris Delicata is vice president of the International Diabetes Federation.