Head Of Training, The Healthy Work Company

April 7, 2016

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7 April – World Health Day 2016

The WHO has called for global action to halt the rise in, and improve care for, people suffering with diabetes on World Health Day 2016.

A global report on diabetes shows that 422 million adults now live with diabetes, mainly in developing countries, with the number of people living with diabetes having quadrupled since 1980. Factors driving this dramatic rise include obesity, the WHO announced ahead of the day.

Diabetes is a chronic, progressive noncommunicable disease (NCD) characterised by elevated levels of blood glucose (blood sugar). It occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough of the insulin hormone, which regulates blood sugar, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

In its first Global report on diabetes, the WHO highlights the need to step up prevention and treatment of the disease.

Measures needed include expanding health-promoting environments to reduce diabetes risk factors, like physical inactivity and unhealthy diets, and strengthening national capacities to help people with diabetes receive the treatment and care they need to manage their conditions.

“If we are to make any headway in halting the rise in diabetes, we need to rethink our daily lives: to eat healthily, be physically active, and avoid excessive weight gain,” says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “Even in the poorest settings, governments must ensure that people are able to make these healthy choices and that health systems are able to diagnose and treat people with diabetes.”

The reports key findings include:

  • The number of people living with diabetes and its prevalence are growing in all regions of the world. In 2014, 422 million adults (or 8.5% of the population) had diabetes, compared with 108 million (4.7%) in 1980.
  • The epidemic of diabetes has major health and socioeconomic impacts, especially in developing countries.
  • In 2014, more than 1 in 3 adults aged over 18 years were overweight and more than one in 10 were obese.
  • The complications of diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputation. For example, rates of lower limb amputation are 10 to 20 times higher for people with diabetes.
  • Diabetes caused 1.5 million deaths in 2012. Higher-than-optimal blood glucose caused an additional 2.2 million deaths by increasing the risks of cardiovascular and other diseases.
  • Many of these deaths (43%) occur prematurely, before the age of 70 years, and are largely preventable through adoption of policies to create supportive environments for healthy lifestyles and better detection and treatment of the disease.
  • Good management includes use of a small set of generic medicines; interventions to promote healthy lifestyles; patient education to facilitate self-care; and regular screening for early detection and treatment of complications.

To find out more and show your support for World Health Day visit: http://www.who.int/en/

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