November 14 – World Diabetes Day was introduced in 1991. International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to the threat of increasing diabetes worldwide.
For a long time, people did not have the opportunity or means to fight this disease. The diagnosis of “diabetes mellitus” left the patient no hope not only for recovery, but also for life: without insulin, this hormone that ensures the absorption of glucose by tissues, the sick body cannot exist and was doomed to fade away. But a discovery occurred that saved the lives of millions of people. In January 1922 young Canadian scientist Frederick Banting injected insulin into a 14-year-old boy, Leonard Thompson, who suffered from a very severe form of diabetes. After several injections of insulin, the patient felt noticeably better, and six months later he returned to normal life.
The purpose of World Diabetes Day is to raise awareness about diabetes – not only about the number of people with diabetes, but also about how many cases of diabetes can be prevented.
On December 20, 2006, the UN General Assembly, identifying the threat posed to humanity by the diabetes epidemic, adopted resolution 61/225, which, in part, states: “Diabetes is a chronic, potentially disabling disease, the treatment of which is costly. Diabetes causes severe complications that pose a great threat to families, nations and the world, and seriously complicates the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals.”
According to this resolution, World Diabetes Day was recognized as a UN day with a new logo. The blue circle symbolizes unity and health. In different cultures, the circle is a symbol of life and health. The blue color represents the colors of the UN flag and represents the sky under which all the people of the world unite.
World Diabetes Day is celebrated around the world by members of the International Diabetes Federation’s 200 associations in more than 160 countries, and is celebrated by all UN member states.
Japarow GURBANGULY,
student of the institute of International Relations
of the MFA of Turkmenistan.
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