Today, the chronic condition diabetes is being commemorated worldwide during World Diabetes Day.
Diabetes is a big problem
World Diabetes Day was established in 1991 by the Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) due to increased concern about the number of diabetes cases worldwide. It is the largest diabetes campaign, reaching 1 billion people across 160 countries. And that is desperately needed, because figures show that diabetes is a serious problem. There are 463 million diabetes patients worldwide. Half of diabetes patients are never diagnosed. Ultimately, 4,2 million people die from the chronic condition. And as much as 10 percent of healthcare costs worldwide are related to diabetes (at least $760 billion).
--Frederick Banting
As of 2006 World Diabetes Day an officially established United Nations day. It takes place on November 14 every year. But why was this day chosen? It is a tribute to the Canadian Frederick Banting (1891-1941) who was born on this day. He was a doctor and also winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Banting became known as the person who managed to extract insulin from the pancreas of people and animals so that it can be injected into diabetes patients. For a long time, insulin came from dogs, calves and pigs. Synthetic insulin has only been used since the XNUMXs. The DNA of humans is introduced into a host cell of the intestinal bacteria (E. coli). The bacteria are then able to imitate the process of insulin formation when they multiply.
The nurse and diabetes
This year the theme of World Diabetes Day is 'The nurse and diabetes'. For many diabetes patients, the nurse is often the first or only healthcare professional who helps them with diagnosis and treatment. They play an essential role in educating diabetes patients so that they can manage themselves can test at home. They also provide psychological support and advise patients to pursue a healthy lifestyle. Of all healthcare professionals worldwide, no less than 59 percent are nurses, nine in ten of whom are women. Worldwide we are short as many as 6 million nurses. This is especially true for developing countries. The WHO and IDF call on countries to invest more in nurses so that diabetes care can be better addressed.
WDD on Social Media
Since yesterday it has been possible to participate in a Twitter chat and a lot of information is shared via the Instagram account @intdiabetesfed and the Twitter accounts @IntDiabetesFed and @WDD. You can stay informed about World Diabetes Day with the hashtags #WorldDiabetesDay and #NursesMakeThe Difference. You are also asked to post about this day yourself. Inform your followers and encourage them to get involved too. And look for well-known influencers who will not let this day pass them by.