LET’S TAKE CONTROLOF DIABETES.NOW.

A campaign led by the International Diabetes Federation

World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaigno the diabetes community. It takes place every year on 14November. The date marks the birthday o Frederick Banting,who, along with Charles Best, is credited with the discovery o insulin.

The logo

World Diabetes Day is represented by the blue circle, the globalsymbol o diabetes.The signicance o the symbol is overwhelmingly positive.Across cultures, the circle symbolizes lie and health. Thecolour blue refects the sky that unites all nations and isthe colour o the fag o the United Nations. The blue circlesignies the unity o the global diabetes community inresponse to the diabetes pandemic.

How did it all begin?

World Diabetes Day was introduced by the InternationalDiabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization(WHO) in 1991, in response to concern over the escalatingincidence o diabetes around the world. The disease currentlyaects over 300 million people worldwide.

The primary global awareness campaigno the diabetes community

World Diabetes Day is an ocial United Nations World Day. On 20 December2006, the UN General Assembly passed resolution 61/225, designating theexisting World Diabetes Day as an ocial United Nations world day. Thislandmark resolution also recognized diabetes as “a chronic, debilitating andcostly disease associated with major complications that pose severe risks oramilies, countries and the entire world.”The world is experiencing an epidemic o non-communicable diseases (NCDs)that threatens to overwhelm healthcare systems worldwide. Diabetes,cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases cause 35 milliondeaths a year, with our in every ve o these deaths occurring in low- andmiddle-income countries.

The NCD Alliance

IDF has joined orces with its sister ederations in heart, cancer, and chronicrespiratory disease, to bring diabetes and other NCDs to the world stage andensure that they are recognized as a global health emergency and a leadingthreat to human health and development. In May 2010, The United NationsGeneral Assembly voted in avour o a UN Resolution calling or a UN Summiton NCDs involving Heads o State, to take place in September 2011. TheSummit is a rst step in ensuring that world leaders make the preventionand treatment o NCDs an urgent priority both globally and nationally. Activeengagement rom all sectors o society is now required to make sure that theSummit is a success.

World Diabetes Day:An ofcial United Nations world day

United Nations Headquarters, New York