The World Health Organisation’s annual World Health Day falls on the Organization’s birthday: Thursday 7th April 2016.
The theme this year will be diabetes which directly impacts the lives of millions of people worldwide. The chronic, metabolic disease causes the person to have elevated levels of blood glucose which can lead to serious damage to their heart, eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels. It also brings about economic loss to the sufferers, their families, health systems and even national economies through their loss of work and medical care costs.
Diabetes is a relevant issue to all people, everywhere. Increasing awareness of diabetes on World Health Day could help encourage further actions that will aid diabetes research, ultimately tackling it.
The goal for this year is to increase awareness about the rise is diabetes. GP patient data shows us that 4.05 million people in the UK are now diagnosed with diabetes. Which is an increase of 119,965 from the previous year. This is an increase of 65% over the past decade. With many more thought to be undiagnosed.
How can you help fight diabetes? #DIABETES
If you’d like to get involved on World Health Day you can take part in the online discussion through the platforms Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag ‘#diabetes’. You can also take the WHO diabetes quiz and share your results through Facebook and Twitter. Click here for the quiz.
Perhaps even partner up with organizations to advocate better health. Promoting that diabetes is often treatable and even preventable and that there is a growing burden in countries due to this condition by supporting the idea of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
This article was provided by Ellie Bridger