Today, November 14th, is World Diabetes Day and the theme for this year is “Diabetes in Children and Adolescents”. In fact, today also marks the first day that the United Nations will observe World Diabetes Day through a series of activities all around the world.
I am sure that there isn’t a single one among us who doesn’t know someone who is afflicted with this terrible disease or beset with its predecessor “pre-diabetes”. Maybe you are affected yourself. In an age of opulence and high-availability of processed and refined foods, diabetes has unfortunately become the very bane of our existence.
The United Nations and Diabetes
Diabetes, on a world-wide scale, has become such a serious issue that the United Nations stepped in late last year to turn the spotlight on the disease and focus the world’s attention toward finding cures and, better yet, preventions for the disease:
On December 20 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a landmark Resolution recognizing diabetes as a chronic, debilitating and costly disease. The Resolution designates World Diabetes Day as a United Nations Day to be observed every year starting in 2007.
The UN Resolution makes World Diabetes Day stronger than ever and provides the opportunity for a significant increase in the visibility of the campaign and an increase in government and media participation on or around November 14. The Resolution will ensure even greater reach for awareness-raising activities throughout the diabetes world.
This Year’s Theme: Diabetes In Children And Adolescents
While we often associate Diabetes with the Type-2 or “Adult Onset” type of the disease, the sad fact is that diabetes (both Type 1 and 2) can (and does) strike people at an early age as well. The focus of this year’s efforts is directed toward the accurate and early diagnosis of diabetes in children with the worthy goal: “No child should die of diabetes”.
Unfortunately, the going is pretty tough and challenging given that:
- Type 1 diabetes is growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents and 5% per year among pre-school children
- An estimated 70,000 children under 15 develop type 1 diabetes each year (almost 200 children a day)
- In the US, it is estimated that type 2 diabetes represents between 8 and 45% of new-onset diabetes cases in children depending on geographic location.
- Over a 20-year period, type 2 diabetes has doubled in children in Japan, so that it is now more common than type 1.
- In native and aboriginal children in North America and Australia, the prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes ranges from 1.3 to 5.3%
Treating children for any illness is challenging enough without having to go through the rigor and pain that keeping tabs on diabetes involves. One can only imagine how disruptive it must be for young children to constantly have to monitor their blood sugar levels while all the time keeping a close watch on their diets.
The campaign assumes the worthy cause to raise awareness of both types of diabetes among the young:
Early diagnosis and early education are crucial to reducing complications and saving lives. The health care community, educators, parents and guardians must join forces to help children living with diabetes, prevent the condition in those at risk, and avoid unnecessary death and disability. [World Diabetes Day]
Truly a cause so worthy it behooves us all to support it. You can learn more about the movement on the official site of World Diabetes Day. (Read last year’s coverage here).
