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International Diabetes Federation

A campaign led by the International Diabetes Federation

DIABETES, A SILENT KILLER

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The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has produced a new global public service announcement to highlight some of the key messages of the World Diabetes Day 2013 campaign. The strong fifty-second animation challenges the public to look at diabetes in a different light, underlining the serious consequences of the disease that can often go unnoticed if it is not managed and treated properly.  The powerful visuals also promote the importance of staying healthy to protect our future.

View, share and comment on the video.

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TAKE A STEP FOR DIABETES - 38 MILLION STEPS AND COUNTING

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The World Diabetes Day 2013 "Take a Step for Diabetes" campaign continues to gain momentum with individuals and groups from all over the world submitting thousands of steps related to diabetes awareness, education and prevention activities. A step is any activity that helps promote diabetes awareness, improve the lives of people with diabetes, promote healthy lifestyles or reduce one's individual risk of diabetes. The goal is to reach the target of 371 million steps by the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne. We're well on the way with over 38 million steps having been submitted so far. Upon reaching the target, IDF will send an open letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on behalf the Take a Steps for Diabetes Campaign. Our goal is to keep the global commitments on diabetes made during the 2011 United Nations High Level Meeting on NCDs on the global health agenda. Our combined efforts will prove that the diabetes community stands united to improve the lives of people affected by diabetes.

Among the leaders in the group category is the Argentine association for children with diabetes, CUI.D.AR, who have accumulated over 3.5 million steps by promoting World Diabetes Day on their social media channels and organising group activities and workshops in their community.  “For CUIDAR the campaign is a chance IDF has given us to showcase our daily work for people with diabetes, regardless of where we live. Our biggest motivation is knowing that we are all united and taking steps together,” said a representative of the association.

On top in the individual category is Gina Bazan from Peru with over 5 million steps. Awareness activities she has submitted include doing interviews in the media, organising events for families of people with diabetes and pinning local personalities with the blue circle pin.

See all the activities submitted by over 200 individuals and groups. Help us reach the target by registering your own account and taking a step for diabetes today. Our next milestone is 52,800,000 steps.

Get inspired with a promotional message from IDF President Sir Michael Hirst.

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10 STEPS TO MANAGE YOUR DIABETES

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Every month the World Diabetes Day Facebook page is showcasing the different steps that the global diabetes community is taking to manage, prevent and educate about diabetes.

This month we focus on some of the ways that people with diabetes are managing their condition. Above are 10 steps that we’ve received from our Facebook followers.

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WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR WORLD DIABETES DAY

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Many of you will already be planning your World Diabetes Day activities and getting ready to make November another special month for the global diabetes community. Here's an overview of some of the ways that you can put diabetes firmly in the public spotlight:

  • Light one or more iconic monuments and buildings in blue in your town, city or country. Read more.
  • Pin a personality with the blue circle. Read more.
  • Organise a physical activity, walks, cycle rides, aerobic workouts, hula hooping, flash mob or dancing.
  • Form a human blue circle, a simple activity with a great visual impact that can be organized as an individual activity or as part of a bigger event.
  • Wear blue for diabetes awareness and ask your friends, family and colleagues to join you.
  • Promote World Diabetes Day on your website, blog or forum by creating a dedicated page with information about local events and other campaign information.
  • Promote the blue circle, the global symbol for diabetes, and/or integrate the colour blue into your WDD promotional materials, activities, and communications. 

Consult our online toolkit for more examples of how you can mark the day.

Already have an activity planned? Share it with us and make sure to include it on our steps platform.

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HERO SPOTLIGHT

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This month we showcase the story of our latest World Diabetes Day Hero, Salome Hydes, a nurse from the UK.

Motivated by her family history of living with diabetes, Salome regularly visits Sierra Leone where she volunteers at the diabetes clinic of the Government Hospital in Freetown. The clinic provides teaching sessions, leaflets about diabetes and supplies such as blood glucose test strips and lancets. Having experienced first-hand the lack of essential clinical supplies in the country, she set up ‘Friends of Diabetes Sierra Leone (FODSL)’, a group which brings together professionals and non-professionals from all over Sierra Leone to work as a team, support and raise funds for the day-to-day running of the clinic and raise awareness and promote diabetes care in the country.

Read her full story and those of all our heroes.

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MATERIALS AND MERCHANDISE

Posters, blue circle pins, bracelets, flags and waist measuring tapes are at your disposal for use in your local awareness activities. The four campaign posters are now available for electronic download in Arabic, Chinese, Latvian, Polish and Portuguese.

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