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Around the world, more people are living in large towns and cities, more people are being born and more people are living longer lives.
At the same time, people are taking less exercise and eating less healthy types of food in larger quantities than they ever did before.
The result is that the total number of people in the world with diabetes is spiralling out of control.

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14.

The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness.

14 November, millions of people in over 170 countries are joining together to mark World Diabetes Day, the global awareness campaign of the diabetes community, and produce a powerful and united voice calling on the world to Act on Diabetes.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) will mark the occasion by releasing the latest edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, the authoritative resource with the latest data on the status of the diabetes epidemic that makes the case for the measures that are required to reduce the enormous burden that diabetes currently represents for health systems worldwide.

The latest figures published in the Atlas confirm that diabetes is a serious challenge the world can no longer afford to ignore. In September of this year, world leaders gathered in New York for the landmark United Nations Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and recognised the need for urgent and coordinated action to tackle the crisis represented by the rise of diabetes and other NCDs all over the globe. Commitments were made, among others, to increase access to affordable, safe, effective and quality -assured medicines and technologies, promote universal coverage in national health systems and promote healthy diets and increase physical activity through urban planning, active transport and work-site healthy lifestyle programmes.

The Summit marked a major milestone for diabetes and other NCDs but much work remains to be done to turn the global catastrophe around, requiring long-term vision, sustained leadership and political will. World Diabetes Day provides the ideal platform to build on what has been achieved so far and continue the movement to change the lives of the 366 million people living with diabetes and the many more at risk.

Visit www.diabetesatlas.org  on 14 November to view all the content from the latest update of the IDF Diabetes Atlas.

Background:

World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses.

The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.