International Diabetes Federation - Diabetes Roadmap for the UN Summit on NCDs

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COUNTDOWN TO WORLD DIABETES DAY - 1 DAY TO GO

Act on Diabetes. Now.

Tomorrow, 14 November, millions of people in over 170 countries will once again join together to mark World Diabetes Day, the global awareness campaign of the diabetes community, and produce a powerful and united voice calling on the world to Act on Diabetes. Now. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) will mark the occasion by releasing the 5th edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas, the authoritative resource with the latest data on the status of the diabetes epidemic that makes the case for the measures that are required to reduce the enormous burden that diabetes currently represents for health systems worldwide.

The latest figures published in the Atlas confirm that diabetes is a serious challenge the world can no longer afford to ignore. In September of this year, world leaders gathered in New York for the landmark United Nations Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and recognised the need for urgent and coordinated action to tackle the crisis represented by the rise of diabetes and other NCDs all over the globe. Commitments were made, among others, to increase access to affordable, safe, effective and quality-assured medicines and technologies, promote universal coverage in national health systems and promote healthy diets and increase physical activity through urban planning, active transport and work-site healthy lifestyle programmes.

The Summit marked a major milestone for diabetes and other NCDs but much work remains to be done to turn the global catastrophe around, requiring long-term vision, sustained leadership and political will. World Diabetes Day provides the ideal platform to build on what has been achieved so far and continue the movement to change the lives of the 366 million people living with diabetes and the many more at risk. Thanks to your efforts, we are closer to achieving our shared goals.

A healthy future is in our hands.
Let's all Unite for Diabetes on World Diabetes Day!

Visit www.diabetesatlas.org on 14 November to view all the content from the 5th edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas.

Make the day a special one

The world has been going blue for diabetes since the beginning of November and will continue to do so on World Diabetes Day. Join and support the campaign in your area:

Over 40 towns and cities around the world have joined our World Diabetes Day Flashmob Challenge. You're still in time to organise your own special awareness performance to mark the day. Get inspired with our tutorial video.
Hundreds of monuments and buildings in over 50 countries are lighting in blue for diabetes awareness. Check our website to see if something is going blue in your local town or city. It's never too late to add your confirmed lighting to our list. Send it to wdd@idf.org.
Thousands are wearing blue for diabetes throughout November to raise awareness and support our cause in their home, school or workplace. Why blue? Find out at http://www.idf.org/bluecircle.
Take part in a local awareness event by consulting our online events list to see if there's something taking place in your area. If you don't find anything, contact your national diabetes association and ask if they have anything planned.
Raise awareness of the blue circle - the global symbol of diabetes. Be creative! You can form a human blue circle with your friends, family or colleagues. Take a picture, send it to us at wdd@idf.org, and we'll share it with the world.
Promote World Diabetes Day on your website or blog by displaying the campaign logo - available in over 70 languages - and promoting the key messages of the campaign.
Over 3000 people have taken the Big Blue Test helping get life-saving diabetes supplies to people with diabetes in need. Help reach the goal of 8,000 tests by 14 November by taking the test at http://bigbluetest.org.
Support the Unite Behind the Diabetes Circle Campaign, initiated by DiabeticConnect.com, by signing the online petition that calls on all diabetes associations to adopt the blue circle as the universal symbol for diabetes awareness.
Add the blue circle picbadge to your Facebook and/or Twitter profile image to show your support for the diabetes cause.
Promote and display our five campaign posters, available for download in 18 languages.

Share your World Diabetes Day experience

Whatever you're doing this World Diabetes Day, share it with us and the global community:

The World Diabetes Day website will showcase images of campaign celebrations from around the world. Add your pictures to our 'World Diabetes Day' pool on Flickr or send them to wdd@idf.org. Remember to clearly describe what your image represents and where it was taken.
Share your comments and thoughts on Facebook and Twitter (use our hashtags #WDD #Diabetes #ActNow #BlueCircle #WDDgoblue #14Nov #WDDfmob) as World Diabetes Day unfolds.
Share your videos on our YouTube Channel or post them in our participative video platform.

Activity highlights

Here are some of the latest highlights of activities taking place around the world to mark World Diabetes Day 2011:

In Belgrade, Serbia, the Diabetes Association of Serbia is organising a variety of awareness events that include a conference in Belgrade City Hall in collaboration with the Serbian Ministry of Health, a run involving people with diabetes and professional runners around the Ada Belgrade Lake to promote physical activity, and an event for children and young people with type 1 diabetes during which American professional basketball player Adam Morrison will promote the message that diabetes should not stop you from achieving your dreams.
In Cordoba, Argentina, a week of awareness activities will begin on 14 November with a Clown show, followed by blood glucose testing, the screening of educational videos, information sessions in hospital and clinic waiting rooms, courses on healthy cooking and the lighting of several local facilities in blue. In addition, the Asociación de Diabéticos de Argentina (ADA) will be lighting their headquarters in blue and organising a diabetes walk and conference involving the 2011 recipient of the WHO peace prize, Dr Fernandez Perez.
In Csetény, Hungary, the Ármin Vámbéry Primary School will be decorating its building with blue circles and balloons and staff and children will be dressing in blue for diabetes. Students will get their blood glucose tested and all children will receive blue bracelets. Other activities include talks and workshops about diabetes and its complications with puzzles, quizzes and boardgames, and an exercise session with a Hungarian fitness celebrity.
In India, the HEAL Foundation is supporting the country's fight against the rising diabetes epidemic by attempting to form the Tallest & Biggest Virtual Wall against Diabetes in India on Facebook. Show your support.
In Malaysia, the highlight of activities organised by the Sunway Medical Centre will be the creation of their very own Malaysian World Diabetes logo as a traditional Batik. This will be painted on 14 November by people with diabetes treated at the centre and presented to the Malaysian Diabetes Association at a public forum on 19 November.
In Sweden, World Diabetes Day will be celebrated by local diabetes associations in over 20 towns and cities throughout the country. Staff and volunteers will be out in the streets and squares to inform the general public about diabetes and also offer blood glucose tests. Seminars and lectures will also be organised and several monuments and buildings will light in blue for diabetes.
In Uruguay, the Diabetes Association of Uruguay raised diabetes awareness during the Football World Cup qualifying match between Uruguay and Chile that took place on 11 November in the Centenario Stadium. A special World Diabetes Day message was provided by Uruguay team manager Oscar Washington Tabárez and will be broadcast on a large LED screen in the centre of Montevideo.
In Vietnam, the National Institute of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders is organising an advocacy and awareness campaign in Ninh Binh province that involves people with diabetes, diabetes specialists, public health planners, high school and college students and media. Activities include diabetes screening, education on the risk factors and prevention of diabetes, joining hands against diabetes and walking on the street to promote lifestyle changes to prevent diabetes.

We would also like to extend our sympathy and support to the Diabetes Association of Thailand, which has had to postpone the many inspiring activities that it had planned for World Diabetes Day as a result of the devastating floods that recently hit the country. Our thoughts are with them in their time of need.

A big thank you to everyone who has submitted information about their World Diabetes Day activities and events. Keep sending us your information.

World Diabetes Day is also grateful to have received the support of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.

Thank you to the Official World Diabetes Day partners

Partners of the International Diabetes Federation help make World Diabetes Day a global success by providing valuable support for many of the activities taking place around the world. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them for helping the campaign to achieve its goals. The Official World Diabetes Day 2011 Partners are:

Abbott Diabetes Care
AstraZeneca
Bayer HealthCare
Becton Dickinson
Boehringer Ingelheim
Boston Scientific
Bristol Myers-Squibb
Julphar
Kuwait Finance House
Landmark Group
LifeScan
Lilly Diabetes
Medtronic
Merck and Co, Inc / MSD
Novartis
Novo Nordisk
Pfizer
Roche
Sanofi
Servier
Takeda

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