World Diabetes Day 2020

#NurseMakeTheDifference

For this year’s World Diabetes Day, the World Health Organization, the International Diabetes Federation and the International Council of Nurses have come together to call for more investment in nursing to help people with diabetes – which is the focus of this year’s Day.

Diabetes affects millions of people. It can debilitate or cut lives short. The Eastern Mediterranean Region has the highest rates of diabetes in the world. And now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, people with diabetes are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19 symptoms and need continuous care to manage their condition.

Nurses can make the difference for people living with diabetes or those at risk of developing it.

Nurses are at the core of the health system.

Nurses are the first point of contact, and close to their communities.

Nurses can help prevent diabetic complications like blindness, kidney failure, amputations, heart attacks, strokes and premature death.

Nurses play a crucial role in health promotion, health literacy, and the management of diabetes and other chronic conditions, including screening and providing primary health care services and specialized treatment services.

Nurses can offer lifestyle treatment, counselling, information and education.

Nurses are ideally placed to help detect and manage diabetes.

Yet we are facing shortages of nurses. We are calling on health care providers and governments to train and employ more nurses so that they are better prepared to support people affected by diabetes, and help maintain essential health services and rising health care demands during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. With the right expertise, nurses can make the difference in the fight against diabetes.

International Diabetes Federation

International Council of Nurses

Global Diabetes Compact

On World Diabetes Day, WHO announced 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 brings 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 is given to reducing obesity, especially among young people. On the treatment side, emphasis is on improving access to diabetes medicines and technologies, in particular in low- and middle-income countries. Key to the success of the Compact will be alignment and united action across all sectors ̶ public, private and philanthropic.

New WHO Global Compact to speed up action to tackle diabetes

Statement from the Director-General

Global Diabetes Compact

Online event

The Lancet Commission on diabetes: using data to transform diabetes care and patient lives

Over 460 million people worldwide have diabetes, with around 80% of them living in low-income and middle-income countries. Despite high-level commitments to accelerate global action against noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), the world is not on-track to reach Sustainable Development Goal 3.4 to reduce premature mortality from major NCDs by 30% between 2015 and 2030. Ahead of World Diabetes Day, this Lancet Commission on diabetes provides a blueprint for closing gaps in diabetes prevention, care, professional knowledge, and data that could save millions of lives. Modelling done by the Commission shows that use of a data-driven, multicomponent, integrated strategy could avert up to 800 000 premature deaths in the top 10 low- and middle-income countries with the highest populations of people with diabetes. Implementing this Commission’s recommendations will require a whole-of-society approach to transform ecosystems and care environments.

Full text

Living with diabetes

You can live a long, healthy and productive life despite having diabetes, provided it is diagnosed early and managed effectively.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

Eat healthy

Eat more fruit and vegetables

Reduce sugar and fat intake

Be active

Engage in 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days

Do not use tobacco

Follow medical advice

Control blood glucose

Control blood pressure

Get regular check-ups

Adhere to medication

Beat diabetes

Statements from WHO, IDF and ICN

Statement from WHO EMRO, International Diabetes Federation MENA, International Council of Nurses

English | Arabic | French

Statement by Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, Regional Director, WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean

English | Arabic | French

Statement by Prof. Jamal Belkhadir, Regional Chair, International Diabetes Federation MENA 

Statement by Annette Kennedy, President, International Council of Nurses 

Voices of nurses in practice 

Voices of health professionals in practice 

Durra Al Sumaiti, Senior Dietician, Kuwait 

Know the risk factors to prevent diabetes (Arabic) 

Dr Ebaa Al-Ozairi, Chief Medical Officer, Kuwait 

Adopt a healthy lifestyle to prevent diabetes 

Lucy Titley, Team Leader, Kuwait 

Get active to reduce your risk of diabetes 

Durra Al Sumaiti, Senior Dietician, Kuwait 

Know the risk factors to prevent diabetes 

Kay Khan, Podiatrist, Kuwait 

Get your feet checked if you have diabetes 

Ibrahim Chaaya, Diabetes Educator, Lebanon 

A diabetes educator’s perspective 

Videos 

Nurses maintain essential health services for diabetes   

English | Arabic | French 

Manage your diabetes and prevent its complications 

English | Arabic | French 

Animated GIFs (WHO)

diabetes_risk_factors_en

Risk factors for diabetes 

English | Arabic | French

diabetes_symptoms_en

Symptoms of diabetes 

English | Arabic | French

diabetes_complications_en

Complications of diabetes  

English | Arabic | French

prevent_diabetes_en

Prevent diabetes and its complications 

English | Arabic | French

Animated GIFs (WHO, IDF and ICN)

nurses_outstanding_work

Nurses do outstanding work 

English | Arabic | French

nurses_diabetic_complications

Nurses can help prevent diabetic complications 

English | Arabic | French

nurses_inform_and_educate

Nurses inform and educate on diabetes 

English | Arabic | French

nurses_train_and_employ

Train and employ more nurses 

English | Arabic | French

nurses_emr_diabetes_rates

The Region has the highest rates of diabetes 

English | Arabic | French

nurses_covid_19

Diabetes and COVID-19 

English | Arabic | French

nurses_strong_workforce

A strong nursing workforce makes the difference 

English | Arabic | French

nurses_look_after_us

We must look after nurses 

English | Arabic | French