Family and Diabetes is the theme of World Diabetes Day 2019

The theme of the World Diabetes Day 2018 and 2019 is “The Family and Diabetes”. The date is celebrated each year on November 14, and became an official United Nations date in 1991, with the support of the World Health Organization, in response to growing concerns about the increased health threat posed by Diabetes. The biennial duration of the campaign was chosen by the International Diabetes Federation to facilitate the planning, development and promotion of disease prevention actions.

Activities and materials developed during the campaign period aim to raise awareness of the impact that Diabetes has on the family and patient support network and to promote the family's role in Diabetes management, treatment, prevention and education.

The campaign seeks to provide information about a continuously growing disease worldwide. Of concern, three out of four people with Diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries. Although 80% of cases of type 2 Diabetes are preventable by adopting a healthy lifestyle, 50% of people with Diabetes remain undiagnosed. In addition, Diabetes is the leading cause of coronary heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation. The world's number of people with the current disease is about 450 million people, which is expected to rise to over 500 million people by 2030. However, less than half of them have access to Diabetes education programs. The disease and its complications are the seventh leading cause of death worldwide.

Approximately 62 million people in the Americas suffer from Type 2 Diabetes in the Americas and need the support of their families, hence the theme of the campaign. It is very important to help families understand risk factors and signs and symptoms and to seek emergency care if Diabetes is suspected. Disease can be prevented through public health policies and changes in favor of a healthy diet, physical activity and healthy body weight to avoid complications.

Be aware of symptoms:

Resources on Diabetes from the Virtual Health Library

BIREME/PAHO/WHO recommends the access to documents and sources of scientific and technical information at the Virtual Health Library (VHL) related to Diabetes.

Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas (SHAA2030)

The Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas 2018-2030 (ASSA 2030) represents the health sector response to the commitments made by PAHO Member States in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. As a subsidy to the theme, BIREME developed the 2030 Sustainable Health Agenda for the Americas Knowledge Showcase.

The Knowledge Showcase is a VHL resource that aims to provide visibility and access to the main documents and other information sources on a priority health theme. Besides specific documents in the VHL, it provides access to reference documents, educational resources, blogs, epidemiological bulletins, news, illustrative elements and multimedia, facilitating the use of information for various purposes. The theme Diabetes is an integral part of the “Objective 9: Noncommunicable Diseases” of the Knowledge Showcase.

Fostering healthy lifestyle in BIREME

BIREME supports, encourages and promotes the practice of physical activity and healthy living habits among its employees through awareness campaigns, lectures with health professionals, nutritionists and physical educators. The practice of labor gymnastics with guidance of Prof. Sérgio HF de Carvalho, Assistant Coordinator of the Physical Education Course at Universidade Paulista and his team, held twice a week at the Center's facilities, contributes to the dissemination of good life practices that protect from noncommunicable diseases such as Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other.

Links of interest