Kolkata:This year's World Diabetes Day on November 14 falls during a global pandemic which has already taken the lives of well over a million people.
People with diabetes are paying a particularly high price. Not only do they have a higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease and death when infected, but many are having difficulty accessing the treatment they need due to disruptions to essential health services.
The pandemic has exacerbated a situation that was already extremely concerning. WHO estimates that 6% of the world's population has diabetes. The total number today is four times what it was in 1980. What's more, the number is rising most rapidly in low-and-middle-income countries, which are the least well-equipped to provide treatment.
The gravity of the situation demands a strong, united response from all organizations working in the areas of monitoring, prevention and treatment of diabetes.On World Diabetes Day, WHO is announcing the Global Diabetes Compact, a comprehensive and inclusive approach to support countries in implementing effective programmes for the prevention and management of diabetes.
The Compact will bring together in one package all WHO materials available for the prevention and management of diabetes, both existing and new. On the prevention side, particular focus will be given to reducing obesity, especially among young people. On the treatment side,emphasis will be on improving access to diabetes medicines and technologies, in particular in low- and middle-income countries.
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body's systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
Type 1 diabetes (previously known as insulin-dependent, juvenile or childhood-onset) is characterized by deficient insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin. Neither the cause of Type 1 diabetes nor the means to prevent it are known.
Symptoms include excessive excretion of urine (polyuria), thirst (polydipsia), constant
hunger, weight loss, vision changes, and fatigue. These symptoms may occur suddenly.(UNI)
