The Resolution recognizes the severity of diabetes and calls on all nations to Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. …
Diabetes Article - World Diabetes Day 2007:
The First UN World Diabetes Day
On 20 December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly passed a landmark
Resolution on diabetes The Resolution recognizes the severity of diabetes
and calls on all nations to develop national policies to tackle the
diabetes pandemic At the same time, the Resolution designates 14
November, the current World Diabetes Day, as a United Nations Day, to be
observed every year beginning in 2007 and invites all Member States,
relevant organizations of the United Nations system and other international
organizations as well as civil society including non-governmental
organizations and the private sector, to observe World Diabetes Day in an
appropriate manner, in order to raise public awareness on diabetes and
related complications as well as on its prevention and care, including
through education and the mass media
For the global diabetes community, this recent development offers a
tremendous opportunity for raising diabetes awareness on a scale not seen
before The theme chosen for the first ever UN World Diabetes Day is
diabetes in children and adolescents
Campaign goals 2007
The World Diabetes Day 2007
campaign sets out to:
Reduce the global incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis in children at
the time of diagnosis;
Double the number of children supported by the IDF Life for a Child
Program;
Increase the number of national diabetes programmes aimed specifically
at the prevention of diabetes in children;
Reach leading decision-makers in healthcare, education and government
agencies responsible for town planning and the promotion of physical
activity
The campaign is led by the IDF Consultative Section on Diabetes in Children
and Adolescents and the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent
Diabetes, with the collaboration and support of a wide coalition of
stakeholders
Diabetes affects children of all ages
The choice of theme for 2007 is timely Diabetes is one of the most common
chronic diseases of childhood It can strike children at any age, including
pre-school children and even toddlers Yet diabetes in children is often
diagnosed late, when the child has diabetic Ketoacidosis DKA, or it is
misdiagnosed completely For example, the weight loss that comes with type
1 diabetes is at times misdiagnosed as malnutrition in
places where
malnutrition is common
In many parts of the world, insulin - the life-saving medication that all
people with type 1 diabetes need to survive - is not available, or is in
short supply Where it is available, family circumstances can mean that it
remains inaccessible for reasons of economy, geography or constraints upon
supply As a consequence, diabetes kills many children each year,
particularly in low and middle-income countries Those closest to the child
and thus best placed to detect diabetes - the family, school peers and
staff, the family physician - may not know the warning signs World
Diabetes Day 2007 sets out to challenge this lack of awareness and
establish firmly the message that no child should die of diabetes
As a response to the dire circumstances facing children with type 1
diabetes in low- and middle-income countries, the International Diabetes
Federation established a Child Sponsorship Program to provide supplies and
care to places where it is most needed Currently, this program supports
just over 500 children
On the rise in children
More than 200 children a day now develop diabetes For many children from
the developing world, the outlook is
bleak
Both main types of diabetes: type 1, which requires treatment with insulin
for survival, and type 2 diabetes, are on the rise in children and
adolescents Recently released figures from the Diabetes Atlas show that
over 70,000 children develop type 1 diabetes each year and indicate that
440,000 children worldwide under the age of 14 now live with type 1
diabetes At the same time, type 2 diabetes, previously rarely seen in
children, is rising quickly, especially among ethnic minority youth
Today, type 2 diabetes is growing at alarming rates in children and
adolescents In some places it is catching or even surpassing type 1 as the
predominant form of diabetes in the young In the USA, for example, it is
estimated that type 2 diabetes represents between 8 and 45 of new-onset
diabetes cases in children, depending on geographic location Over a 20-
year period, type 2 diabetes has doubled in children in Japan, so that it
is now more common than type 1 In native and aboriginal children in North
America and Australia, the prevalent rate of type 2 diabetes ranges from
13 to 53 We need to draw the attention of governments everywhere to
assure that healthily food is available,
accessible and affordable for
children and to create opportunities for children to be physically active
Diabetes - different for children
Diabetes has a unique impact on children and their families The daily life
of children is disrupted by the need to monitor blood glucose levels, take
medication, and balance the effect of activity and food Diabetes can
interfere with the normal developmental tasks of childhood and adolescence,
which include succeeding in school and the transition to adulthood In
young children, frequent episodes of very low blood sugar hypoglycaemia
may result in brain abnormalities and impaired cognitive function In order
to help the child and family cope, and to ensure the best possible physical
and emotional health of the child, care should be delivered by a
multidisciplinary team with good knowledge of paediatric issues Support
must also be given to caregivers and to school personnel In this way,
children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can reach adulthood with as little
adverse impact as possible on their well-being For children with diabetes
in developing countries the situation at present is bleak
Proper education in diabetes management is key to
reducing complications
and saving lives While it remains demanding, early diagnosis followed by
appropriate care and support can help children and their families to
succeed in controlling diabetes so that any child with diabetes can grow up
to be healthy and happy
Many of our children will grow up to face a future with diabetes if nothing
is done The Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta, USA, predicted that of
all the children born in the USA in the year 2000, a third of them would go
on to develop diabetes during their lifetimes The figure escalated to a
shocking 50 for African American children New data from the IDF Atlas
show that over 240 million people now live with diabetes The same data
predict a 65 increase to a staggering 380 million within a generation if
nothing is done Despite the facts, the governmental agencies that should
take responsibility for turning the tide of this global epidemic remain, or
choose to remain, ignorant of its magnitude and severity Regretfully, to a
large extent, the same remains true of the general public We must change
this now, or it will be our children and grandchildren that bear the future
brunt of the diabetes epidemic
No Child Should
Die of diabetes
With the rising prevalence of diabetes in children comes the increased risk
of children dying from diabetes Many deaths are due to diabetic
ketoacidosis DKA - also known as diabetic coma Children with DKA have a
very high level of sugar and acid in their blood which requires emergency
treatment Without insulin, children can lapse into a coma and die In
national population studies, the mortality rate from DKA in children is
015 to 030 Cerebral oedema, or swelling of the brain, is a
complication unique to children It accounts for 60-90 of all DKA deaths
Other deaths in children are due to a lack of access to care and
medication This is especially true for children in low- and middle-income
countries
Children are more sensitive to a lack of insulin than adults, and are at
higher risk of a rapid and dramatic development of diabetic ketoacidosis
It has been shown that in developed countries there are still children with
type 1 diabetes dying from ketoacidosis From a global perspective, child
deaths from undiagnosed diabetes is likely a large but hidden problem The
life expectancy for someone who requires insulin to survive in Zambia is 11
years In Mali, it is 30 months
In Mozambique, a person with type 1
diabetes will die within a year of diagnosis
When diabetes is diagnosed under age 40, life expectancy is shortened by 1
to 2 decades and quality of life is negatively impacted This is
particularly true for children with type 2 diabetes, who often have
multiple conditions such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty
liver, sleep apnea and depression Children with diabetes are at high risk
of developing complications at a younger age
Raise awareness, improve education and save lives
Despite modern treatment, 12 years after diagnosis more than 50 of
children living with diabetes go on to develop complications In children
with poor blood sugar control, complications occur sooner Intensive
diabetes therapy can control diabetes and allow children to live a healthy
and full life However, intensive diabetes therapy can lead to an increased
incidence of very low blood sugar hypoglycaemia In young children,
frequent hypoglycaemia may impede brain development and function Insulin
is not a cure With no cure for diabetes in sight, systems of diabetes
management that improve blood sugar control must be well defined, with age-
specific targets,
and must be carefully taught to patients and families
For children with diabetes who are born in developing countries, we have a
pressing responsibility We must work to raise awareness of the often dire
situation that children and their families face We must advocate for
improved access to diabetes medication and care everywhere so that diabetes
is not a death sentence as a consequence of geography
It has been 85 years since the first successful injection of insulin In
many countries, there are now examples of people who have lived for 50, 60
or even 70 years with diabetes Scientific and medical advancement mean
that the opportunities for good diabetes management have increased Insulin
remains an imperfect treatment and not a cure, yet without it children with
diabetes cannot survive The medication ,appropriate support and care
should be available and affordable to all those who need it Appropriate
healthcare should be the right of every child with diabetes
Francine Kaufman and Phil Riley
Diabetes Article- World Diabetes Day 2008:
World Diabetes Day was established by the International Diabetes Federation
IDF and the World Health
Organization WHO in 1991 Celebrated every
year on November 14, World Diabetes Day is now an official United Nations
World Day as a consequence of the successful Unite for Diabetes campaign
World Diabetes Day is represented by a blue circle logo The blue circle is
the global symbol of diabetes and signifies the unity of the global
diabetes community in response to the burgeoning diabetes pandemic
The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes
Federation and its member associations It is a multi-stakeholder
partnership that includes diabetes representative organizations and their
members around the world and Official World Diabetes Day Partners Each
year the campaign is centred on a theme that is established by the IDF
Executive Board and approved by the World Health Organization
This year sees the second year of a two-year campaign The theme for the
2008 World Diabetes Day Campaign is diabetes in children and adolescents
The decision to take World Diabetes Day themes over more than one year
gives us all the opportunity for better planning over the longer term,
ensures that materials remain relevant for longer and helps us all to make
better use of the
limited resources we have at our disposal The main
campaign slogan is Know the warning signs The key campaign messages are:
No child should die of diabetes, Diabetes is different for children and
Diabetes affects children of all ages
The main aims for the 2008 campaign are to:
Raise awareness of the warning signs of diabetes
Encourage initiatives to reduce diabetic ketoacidosis and distribute
materials to support these initiatives
Attract sufficient resources to the International Diabetes
Federations Life for Child Program to support a further 500 children
by the end of 2009
Promote healthy lifestyles to help prevent type 2 diabetes in children
Reach more than 1 billion people through the media with diabetes-
related awareness messages
Drive a global lighting campaign in which iconic landmarks, public and
private buildings, and individuals can all participate
The importance of the theme
Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are increasing in the young Type 1 is
increasing at a rate of 3 per year in children The figure increases to 5
among children of pre-school age Worldwide, more than two hundred children
a day develop
diabetes For most of them, it is the accident of geography
and the socio-economic surroundings into which they are born that, to a
large extent, determines their future health Type 2 diabetes, once thought
to only affect adults, is now increasing in children and adolescents
Limited lifestyle options and poor nutrition mean that the current
generation of children is growing up with an ever-increasing risk of
diabetes In some countries, type 2 diabetes has overtaken type 1 as the
predominant type of diabetes in children and adolescents
Insulin was discovered over 85 years ago and has been giving life to many
people with diabetes ever since Despite this, children with type 1
diabetes in many parts of the world lack access to life-saving medication
and, as a result, die or face the terrible complications of diabetes at a
young age Insulin remains notably absent from the World Health
Organizations list of essential medicines, including its list specifically
for children
No child should die of diabetes
As a response to the dire circumstances facing children with type 1
diabetes in low- and middle-income countries, the International Diabetes
Federation established an aid program Life
for a Child in partnership
with Diabetes Australia-NSW and HOPE worldwide to provide supplies and care
to places of greatest need Currently, this program supports close to 1000
children As an aim of the campaign for World Diabetes Day, IDF is looking
to expand the program
All children have the right to participate fully in all the experiences of
childhood and adolescence, whether they have a chronic disease such as
diabetes or not, and wherever they live in the world This year we want to
establish the right of all children with diabetes to at least a minimum
standard of care that that can help quarantine survival
In many developing countries, children with diabetes suffer because insulin
and other diabetes supplies are not affordable or sometimes not even
available Many children die soon after diagnosis Many others face the
burden of complications while still young
The International Diabetes Federations Life for a Child Program supports
the care of 1000 children in the following countries: Tanzania, Rwanda,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Azerbaijan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka,
Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Uzbekistan, Bolivia, Mali, Ecuador,
Sudan and Cameroon
The
Program works with diabetes centres in these countries to provide the
clinical care and diabetes education that the children in their care need
to stay alive The centres provide comprehensive clinical and financial
feedback
The goals of the Program are to provide:
Sufficient insulin and syringes
Blood glucose monitoring facilities
Appropriate clinical care
HbA1c testing
Diabetes education
Technical support for health professionals if requested
The Program aims to raise awareness of the plight of children with diabetes
in the countries in which it is present and encourages governments to
establish appropriate care to safeguard the future of children with
diabetes
The Program is supported by donations from individuals, diabetes
representative organizations, Rotary International and companies working in
diabetes Funds to support the Program are also generated by the
International Diabetes Federation through the sale of World Diabetes Day
merchandizing Most individual donors contribute a dollar a day Support is
provided to recognized diabetes centers to purchase insulin and syringes,
and provide monitoring and education Financial trails and the
health
outcomes of the children are carefully monitored
Over 200 children a day get diabetes Without support, many of them will
not have access to the healthcare they will need to survive into
adulthood
Taking on DKA
Globally, children with diabetes are threatened by poor access to
healthcare, inadequate diabetes supplies including insulin, and lack of
trained healthcare professionals As a result, the diagnosis of diabetes
can often be delayed and children can die Even in the developed world, the
diagnosis of diabetes can often be delayed, particularly in young children
This is because many people do not yet understand or believe that diabetes
can occur in infants, toddlers and school-aged children It is not easy to
recognize an increase in thirst and urination in children who are still in
diapers, nursing, drinking from bottles or at school all day Children with
diabetic ketoacidosis can be misdiagnosed as having the flu and can slip
into a coma or die before their diabetes is treated In the United States
for example, the DKA rates at diagnosis of diabetes are for the most part
still between 25-40 of cases Youth with type 2 diabetes often have a
delay in their diagnosis as
well Recent reports in the US have described
that a small percentage of youth with type 2 have died from hyperosmolar
coma with blood glucose levels in excess of 800 mg/dl associated with
severe dehydration at onset
The International Diabetes Federation in collaboration with the
International Society for the Study of Diabetes in Adolescence and
Pediatrics ISPAD is campaigning to raise awareness of childhood diabetes
to reduce the incidence of DKA and hyperosmolar coma at the time of
diagnosis The impetus for this is the successful campaign that was
conducted in Parma, Italy from 1991 to 1998 This was an information
campaign that was promoted in schools and pediatricians offices It
focused on bed-wetting, which was reported as the first sign of diabetes by
89 of parents of children with diabetes in Parma By placing pamphlets and
posters throughout schools, child centers, and pediatric offices during the
8-year period, the DKA rate dropped from 78 at diagnosis to 125 With
the posters still on display, the DKA remains that low today A group of
international experts have come together to develop a tool box that
contains posters and pamphlets about the signs and symptoms of diabetes
in
infants, children and youth that can be used around the world in schools,
the offices of healthcare providers, and with the media
World Diabetes Day 2007: a brief report
Last year the early passage of the UN Resolution on diabetes resulted in
the need to extend key messages beyond the child theme to incorporate
messages related to raising awareness of the UN Resolution The objectives
for World Diabetes Day 2007 were broadened to include promotion of the blue
diabetes circle and increased awareness of the United Nations World
Diabetes Day Resolution
For the first time we used sold merchandize to support the campaign goals
Since launching the diabetes Circle lapel pins in May 2006, we have
produced and distributed more than 500,000 As of January 2007 a percentage
of any income from sales has been donated to the Life for a Child Program
The first significant attempt to expand WDD merchandizing beyond the pin
was the production of Crayons The item was chosen because of its link to
the World Diabetes Day theme and the crayon was used to provide the
campaign image To date, more than 52,000 boxes have been sold
A highly successful element of the 2007 World Diabetes Day campaign
was the
development of three main calls to action We sought to encourage political
action through the signing of proclamations and declarations
We sought to engage community action at the grass roots level by
encouraging such activities as walks and cycle rides Our third call to
action sought to drive media exposure of diabetes by asking people to light
iconic landmarks in blue
Thanks to the work of diabetes representative organizations and committed
individuals the calls to action were highly successful: a total of 159
proclamations were confirmed; IDF membership associations mobilized a total
of 31,598 registered participants in last years walks, and an incredible
total of 279 iconic monuments were confirmed The campaign expanded beyond
iconic monuments to include office buildings and peoples homes
World Diabetes Day was an unprecedented success with the global media
Coverage of the day penetrated all media - print, radio, broadcast, online
This success can be attributed largely to the calls to action, which
provided a number of angles for journalists, including photo and broadcast
opportunities An estimated more than 12 billion people were reached
through the media
Online
tools were used to share information and keep a record of events
The World Diabetes Day website wwwworlddiabetesdayorg received over
100,000 visitors in the period around World Diabetes Day Over 900 photos
were posted to the site and a total of 18 videos were submitted through
YouTube We ran a highly successful banner campaign World Diabetes Day
banners were distributed widely through the internet with well over a
million banner views recorded
World Diabetes Day 2008: the campaign at a glance
Calls to action
For the World diabetes Day 2008 campaign we are once again calling on the
global diabetes community to light iconic buildings and sites to mark World
Diabetes Day around the world We want to encourage more than 500 iconic
buildings and monuments to light up for 2008 This year we hope to
encourage schools to participate and for individuals to light their own
houses or in some other way participate with personal acts of lighting We
hope that with the greater advance warning this year it will give
sufficient time to organizae an event around the lighting to add context to
the event Online, we are working on a virtual light concept to support
World Diabetes Day
The first
landmark to join the 2008 Monument Challenge was the Banting
House National Historic Site in Canada The building, located in London,
Ontario, Canada and known as The birthplace of insulin, will light up in
blue for the whole month of November to mark Diabetes Awareness Month and
World Diabetes Day The Banting House National Historic Site occupies the
house in which Dr Frederick Banting lived and practised medicine from 1920-
21 This is highly appropriate as World Diabetes Day is celebrated every 14
November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles
Best, is credited with the discovery of insulin in 1921
A further call to action will be to promote the sighning of declarations to
support the rights of the child with diabetes
We will also promote community action to mark the day As in previous years
we will promote activiteis such as walks, fun runs or cycle rides that can
engage the diabetes community at the grass roots level The goal is to once
again reach more than 1 billion people through the media
Share the experience online
World Diabetes Day engages people with diabetes and people at risk of
diabetes throughout the world It targets those in a
position to bring
about improvements in diabetes healthcare and prevention, as well as those
in a position to fund diabetes care It provides a unique opportunity for
people with diabetes, healthcare providers and healthcare decision-makers
to work together to raise global awareness of diabetes and advocate for
change The worlddiabetesdayorg website is the place to share your World
Diabetes Day experiences online This year we are working to make the site
available in Spanish, French and English Please vist the site and share
information about your activities
This year marks the conclusion of a 2-year effort to highlight the unique
aspects of diabetes in children It underscores that a child who has access
to medical care and supplies, and who is supported by his or her family and
community, can grow up to participate fully in all aspects of society
Francine Kaufman and Phil Riley
Source:healthypeople.gov
