Day dedicated to diabetes

Jackie Gardner

There seems to be a day/week/month signifying just about everything these days. For diabetes, one of the world's most significant health problems, the month is November, with World Diabetes Day celebrated annually on Nov. 14 in more than 160 countries.

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The World Diabetes Day campaign, initiated in 1991, is led by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the rising health threat diabetes now poses.

While World Diabetes Day initiatives last the year, the day is celebrated to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea that led to the discovery of insulin in 1922.

“Diabetes Education and Prevention” is the theme for the period 2009-2013, with the 2009 slogan being “Understand Diabetes and Take Control.”

The campaign is driven by four goals:

• Every government should apply effective strategies and policies for the prevention and management of diabetes.

• Every person with diabetes should receive education to help them manage their diabetes better.

• Every person should know the diabetes warning signs, how to prevent or delay the complications of diabetes, and how to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.

• Every country should celebrate World Diabetes Day.

Diabetes is a complex disease that takes constant effort to control and reduce the risk of the well-known complications, such as loss of sight, kidney failure, heart disease and amputation, to name a few.

As outcomes are largely the result of the decisions made by those with diabetes, it is important that people with diabetes receive ongoing, high-quality diabetes education and treatment that is tailored to their needs and delivered by skilled health professionals.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that imposes life-long demands on the 250 million people living with diabetes and their families. In addition, IDF estimates that more than 300 million people worldwide are at risk for type 2 diabetes, which can be prevented in many cases by encouraging those at risk to maintain a healthy weight and get regular exercise.

Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when cells become resistant to the action of insulin, leading to high blood glucose.

Locally, People Center’d on Diabetes, a community group dedicated to increasing diabetes awareness, is partnering with the IDF to light up iconic Centre County landmarks in blue to mark World Diabetes Day on Nov. 14.

Look for the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Mount Nittany Medical Center in College Township and the Bryce Jordan Center at University Park lit in blue. Join us in taking on the challenge of diabetes to create a healthier and more productive community right here in Centre County.

For more information about People Centre’D on Diabetes, contact reinvent care@hhdev.psu.edu. For more information about World Diabetes Day, visit www.worlddiabetesday.org.

Jackie Gardner, of Ferguson Township, has worked in the medical field for more than 20 years helping people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes better manage their disease.