World Diabetes Day (WDD), celebrated every year on November 14, is the largest global campaign on awareness about the disease, with events organized in over 100 countries in 2014 and activities dedicated to the awareness, advocacy, prevention, and control of diabetes. The date was established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization (WHO) on the occasion of the 68th World Health Assembly in response to the growing health challenges imposed by diabetes. The 2015 campaign focuses on healthy eating as a key factor to fight the epidemic of the disease and the main ingredient of sustainable development and health.
Facts about Diabetes
• 387 million people have diabetes; in 2035 this number will rise to 592 million (50% increase)
• The number of people with type 2 diabetes is increasing in all countries
• 77% of people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries
• The largest number of people with diabetes are between 40 and 59 years old
• 179 million people with diabetes worldwide are undiagnosed
• Diabetes caused 4.9 million deaths in 2014; every seven seconds a person dies from diabetes
• Diabetes led to spending at least $ 612 billion in health, spending in 2014-11% of the total expenditure on health in adults
• More than 79,000 children developed type 1 diabetes in 2013
• More than 21 million live births are affected by diabetes during pregnancy in 2013
• In LAC there are 25 million cases of diabetes. It is estimated that 27% of patients are undiagnosed.
• In LAC, an estimated number of people with diabetes will increase 60% by 2035.
Sources: International Diabetes Federation and NIH
Scientific and technical literature
BIREME/PAHO/WHO recommends access to documents and sources of scientific and technical information in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) related to the World Diabetes Say 2015.
Links of interest
PAHO/WHO health topics on diabetes
PAHO/WHO health topics on non-communicable diseases