Free visits to diabetes centers, glycemic tests in the stands set up in many squares, sporting events. And not only: commercials, communication campaigns and much more.
There are many initiatives that will also be at the center of World Diabetes Day this year.
Different methods and proposals from region to region, which see doctors, volunteers, pharmacists, nurses and patient associations in the field from time to time.
With a single objective: to raise awareness among the population about diabetes, the consequences of the disease, how important it is to manage it optimally. And, finally, on the relevance of prevention. An aspect, the latter, which mainly concerns type 2 diabetes.
WHO raises the alarm
According to the World Health Organization, deaths from diabetes could double in 2030.
The poorest countries are the most affected, eight out of ten cases concern populations living in low- and middle-income countries.
There are over 220 million diabetics in the world and there is no State or Region that is “immune”.
And there are still many diabetes patients who, in the world, die due to lack of information, treatment or difficulty in accessing life-saving drugs such as insulin.
Based on these data, the WHO launches the proposal to governments to do everything possible to fill these gaps, so that diabetics can recover and avoid damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves.
It is always the WHO to identify the tools and methods to be adopted to cope with this “epidemic”: timely diagnosis and effective treatments.
Lifestyles, information and prevention
Posed in these terms, it is clear that information is the basis of any health policy intervention aimed at combating diabetes.
It is therefore essential to inform people at risk or those who are already affected by the disease in order to prevent complications due to avoidable factors, such as smoking, on the one hand and, on the other, to understand how to manage their condition.
This will protect oneself from long-term complications, which require a heavy toll in terms of suffering and financial costs.
And, more generally, promoting healthy diets and lifestyles can certainly have a positive impact. As well as stimulating an increasing number of people to regularly undertake motor activities such as cycling, walking and other forms of transport beneficial both for our body and for the planet.
Joycelyn Elders is the author and creator of EmpowerEssence, a health and wellness blog. Elders is a respected public health advocate and pediatrician dedicated to promoting general health and well-being.
The blog covers a wide range of topics related to health and wellness, with articles organized into several categories.