World Diabetes Day is commemorated on November 14 of every year. World Diabetes Day was created to promote awareness among people about the effects of diabetes and the complications caused by the disease. Every year, World Diabetes Day is celebrated with a theme that aims to address issues related to diabetes. Diabetes is a preventable and non-communicable disease that is rapidly increasing in numbers. Over the years, #WDD has proven internationally useful in spreading the message about diabetes and raising awareness about the prevention of diabetes.

“Millions of Americans today are taking dietary supplements, practicing yoga and integrating other natural therapies into their lives. These are all preventive measures that will keep them out of the doctor’s office and drive down the costs of treating serious problems like heart disease and diabetes.” Andrew Weil

History of World Diabetes Day

In 1991, the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) and World Health Organization (WHO) created World Diabetes Day to stop the rise of diabetes around the world. In 2016, nearly 230 IDF member associations in more than 160 countries celebrated World Diabetes Day. The date November 14 marks the birth anniversary of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin and used it on humans for the first time. #WDD was created to increase awareness about the increasing number of people being affected by diabetes around the world. It also creates awareness about the risk factors of diabetes and emphasizes the importance of prevention and treatment methods for diabetes. As per the reports of WHO, nearly 422 million people around the world are living with diabetes, and every year, nearly 4 million people die due to diabetes.

The two main aims or goals of #WDD is

  • To promote International Diabetes Foundation advocacy efforts throughout the year.
  • To encourage the importance of making organized and collective efforts to face diabetes as a critical global health issue.

The celebration is represented by a blue circle logo that was adopted in 2007 after the passage of the UN Resolution on diabetes. The blue circle is a global symbol for the awareness of diabetes. The blue circle signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to diabetes disease.

World Diabetes Day

About Diabetes

Diabetes or Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders in which there are high blood sugar levels over an extended period. If Diabetes is left untreated, it will cause many complications. Some of the acute complications include diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state, or death. Serious long-term complications include stroke, cardiovascular disease, foot ulcers, chronic kidney disease, and damage to the eyes. There are two types of Diabetes:

  • Type 1 Diabetes: It is otherwise called insulin-dependent, juvenile, or childhood-onset diabetes. The primary cause of this diabetes is the deficiency of insulin production in the body, and it occurs mostly in childhood age.
  • Type 2 Diabetes:  It is otherwise called non-insulin-dependent or adult-onset diabetes. This type of diabetes is usually associated with overweight adults with physical inactivity

Symptoms of Diabetes

The key symptoms of Diabetes are listed below

  • Frequent Urination (Polyuria)
  • Increased Thirst (Polydipsia)
  • Increased Hunger (Polyphagia)
  • Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
  • Weakness
  • Blurred vision
  • Slow healing of cuts/wounds
  • Numbness or tingling in feet

Themes of World Diabetes Day

Every year, World Diabetes Day is celebrated with a particular theme. Hence, the current and past themes of #WDD are listed below

2013 – “Protect our Future: Diabetes Education and Prevention.”
2014 – “Go Blue for Breakfast.”
2015 – ‘Healthy Eating.”
2016 – “Eyes on Diabetes.”
2017 – “Women and diabetes – our right to a healthy future.”
2018 – “The Family and Diabetes.”
2019 – “Family and Diabetes.’
2021 – “Access to Diabetes Care.”
2022 – “Access to Diabetes Care.”
2023 – “Access to Diabetes Care.”

Other Celebrations on November 14

November 14 is also celebrated as

How to Celebrate the Day

The best way to celebrate World Diabetes Day is by raising awareness among people about diabetes and its preventive measures. Several welfare organizations, companies, government, and non-government organizations around the world will conduct seminars and events to raise awareness about the preventive measures of Diabetes. You can participate in those events. Post pictures and raise awareness on social media by using the hashtag #WDD or #WorldDiabetesDay.

Thank you for reading the post. You can celebrate every day with happydays365.org and Happy World Diabetes Day 2023.