First United Nations World Diabetes Day Unites Global Diabetes Community to Fight the Epidemic
14/11/2007 01:03
PR Newswire
NEW YORK, November 14 /PRNewswire/ -- On the first United Nations World Diabetes Day, the International
Diabetes Federation (IDF) calls on governments to develop national policies
for the prevention, care and treatment of diabetes and calls on donors
worldwide to consider the need for a diabetes global fund to tackle the
growing diabetes epidemic.
Speaking at the World Diabetes Day press conference, Dr Martin Silink,
President of the International Diabetes Federation, explained that policy
change and increased funding will be required to curb the growth of diabetes.
"Diabetes is now seen as a serious threat to global health. It is one of the
most devastating epidemics the world has seen," said Dr Silink, "yet diabetes
funding is dismally insufficient in comparison to other diseases."
November 14 marks the first observance of the existing World Diabetes Day
by the United Nations. At the end of last year, the UN General Assembly
passed Resolution 61/225. The resolution establishes November 14 as an
officially observed UN world day from this year, making diabetes only the
second disease after HIV/AIDS to have an official UN day.
The World Diabetes Day resolution describes diabetes as "a threat to
families, member states and the entire world." For the first time a
non-infectious disease is seen as posing as serious a threat to global health
as the infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. IDF and
WHO figures indicate that over 246 million people now have diabetes
worldwide. This number is set to reach 380 million by 2025 if significant
action is not taken.(i)
Speaking at today's press conference held in New York City to mark the
first United Nations World Diabetes Day, IDF President-Elect Jean-Claude
Mbanya explained why widespread apathy in the face of the growing diabetes
threat has contributed to the diabetes epidemic: "Diabetes was long dismissed
as 'nothing serious' a 'touch of sugar', or a 'disease of the elderly and the
rich'. For years the growing threat of diabetes went largely ignored.
Successive generations failed to act decisively. Diabetes slipped in under
the radar unnoticed to become a global health catastrophe." According to Dr
Mbanya, the time is right to take action to address the diabetes threat: "The
political momentum generated by the World Diabetes Day Resolution, the
coordinated advocacy of a strong diabetes community and the availability of
cheap medication have created the opportunity for governments to implement
policies to prevent diabetes and its complications."
Diabetes affects 6% of the global adult population. It is a leading cause
of blindness, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and amputation. Every
year, over 3.8 million deaths are due to diabetes, making diabetes a more
significant global killer than HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Every 10
seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes. In that same 10 seconds,
two people develop the disease.
Diabetes is an expensive condition, with wide-ranging costs for
individuals, for families and for healthcare systems. It threatens to
undermine economic growth, particularly in developing countries, which
currently shoulder most of the diabetes burden.
Current spending to treat and prevent diabetes is estimated at more than
US$232 billion each year. This will balloon to more than US$302 billion each
year within 20 years. More than 80% of this investment is made in the world's
most developed countries. The majority of all people with diabetes (70% of
the total), however, are found in the developing countries.
Despite the size and seriousness of the diabetes epidemic, it has not
attracted significant funding from donors. Overseas Development Aid to the
health sector, for example, reached US$2.9 billion in 2002. Most of that
US$2.9 billion went to support infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS. Of
the global total, only 0.1% was available to fund all non-communicable
chronic diseases including diabetes.
While the passage of the Resolution has created great political momentum,
significant financial resources will be required to address the diabetes
epidemic meaningfully. Recognizing this need, the International Diabetes
Federation is exploring the possibility of establishing a global financing
facility for diabetes, based on an analysis of existing global health
financing mechanisms and consultations with a diverse group of stakeholders.
Wrapping up the press conference, Dr Silink emphasized that: "A fully
implemented national plan to treat and prevent diabetes should be a right for
everyone. It is time," continued the IDF President "to make a significant
difference for the 246 million people living with diabetes and to introduce
effective strategies for the prevention of diabetes itself."
Broadcast videos are available at: http://www.thenewsmarket.com/wdd
Note to Editors
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella
organization of over 200 member associations in more than 160 countries,
representing almost 250 million people with diabetes, their families, and
their healthcare providers. The mission of the IDF is to promote diabetes
care, prevention and a cure worldwide. Its main activities include education
for people with diabetes and healthcare professionals, public awareness
campaigns and the promotion and exchange of information. IDF is a
non-governmental organization in official relations with WHO and associated
to the United Nations' Department of Public Information. For more
information, please visit http://www.idf.org.
Introduced by IDF and the World Health Organization in 1991,
World Diabetes Day has been celebrated by diabetes representative
organizations worldwide ever since. The date of 14 November was chosen
because it marks the birthday of Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles
Best, is credited with the discovery of insulin. UN Resolution 61/225
establishes November 14 as a United Nations observed day from 2007. Visit
http://www.worlddiabetesday.org for further information about the campaign
and for a full list of landmarks that will light up.
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(i) Diabetes Atlas, 3rd ed. International Diabetes Federation, 2006;1: 19
For media inquiries, please contact: Kerrita McClaughlyn, IDF Media Relations Coordinator, media@idf.org, +1-203-962-1222 and +32-487-530-625 or Phil Riley, IDF Communications Manager, +32-495-204964.