Diabetes Awareness Spreads Worldwide

Filed in archive Developments on February 22, 2006

With more than 333 million cases of diabetes in the world, it is certainly an issue we all need to be aware of, and work together to improve and possibly, cure.

A major step in the right direction was made recently with the World Diabetes Conference in Vietnam.

People's Daily reports:

An international diabetes conference kicked off Wednesday in Hanoi, addressing one of the most significant public health challenges of the 21st century.

"Our ultimate aim is to encourage governments worldwide, policymakers, and funding bodies to prioritize diabetes care, allowing the implementation of much-needed sustainable and far- reaching solutions," Pierre Lefebvre, chairman of the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) said at the three-day conference, with the participation of nearly 100 delegates, mainly health experts, from various international organizations and countries.

According to the WHO, the number of people suffering from diabetes worldwide will surge to 333 million in 2025 from over 194 million in 2003, mainly due to a combination of population ageing, unhealthy diets, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. It has predicted that developing countries will bear the brunt of the epidemic in the 21st century.With inspirational stories like these flooding in every day, there seems to be no doubt that we can beat this thing.