World Diabetes Day

14 November 2009

Theme: Education and Prevention

The theme for World Diabetes Day 2009 is education and prevention. It is the first in a cycle that will focus on this aspect for a further 3 years.

The following puts diabetes into some form of current perspective:

• Some 3.8 million deaths were estimated to have been caused by this disease in 2007
• WHO has calculated that the reduced life expectancy of those diagnosed with diabetes totals an equivalent of at least 25 million years per year and the International Diabetes Federation suggests that complications resulting from the disease can nearly double this figure
• In Commonwealth member countries studies have shown, for example:
  • The poorest people in India spend an average of 25% of their income on health care mainly to avoid death from high blood sugar levels
  • A patient requiring insulin to stay alive will live for 11 years in Zambia and 1 year in Mozambique
  • In the Caribbean zone, drugs to reduce blood sugar levels are believed to account for about 50% of all spending on medicines.

Most pharmacists directly involved in services to patients and their carers will have considerable experience of those with both type1 and 2 diabetes and have the opportunity to have impact on the control of the disease and its complications. They may well also participate in educating and informing others on lifestyle or risk issues that aid prevention.

There may also be a role and opportunities to help spread information on the impact of this disease in health, social and economic contexts to those responsible within their local and national communities for political, social and health policies and services.

Finally in undertaking our professional role we must also be cognisant of our own need to keep up to date and be prepared to share knowledge with our staff and health care colleagues.

The potential role in supporting World Diabetes Day Activities will depend on the specific priorities in our own working environment whether this relates to patients, colleagues or the general community (see appendix). It is pertinent to consider this in an on-going context not simply as task for a single occasion.

Some recently reported information

Disease

• A significant rise in the number of diabetics in SE Asia, particularly India
• That by 2050 1 in 7 Australians will have type 2 diabetes
• That those with type 2 diabetes have a higher risk of complications in swine influenza infections
• Diabetics may have lower than average bone density and delayed healing of fractures
• That those with sleep apnoea are at higher risk of developing diabetes

Lifestyle influences

• A healthy lifestyle can help defer the development of type 2 diabetes for up to 10 years
• Inclusion of coconut oil in the diet may help prevent development of type 2 diabetes through an effect on insulin resistance
• A high vegetable intake during pregnancy may reduce the risk of children developing type 1 diabetes

Treatment

• Further development in the use of an inhaled formulation of insulin
• In those diabetics with a specific genetic modification sulphonylureas may be up to 3 times more effective

The appendix shows location of social and/or health related activities that have been posted on the World Diabetes Day website by the end of October.

Some related on-line links:
http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/
http://www.idf.org/
http://www.ispad.org/
http://www.who.int/
http://www.diabetesdaily.com/

The CPA secretariat would be pleased to receive, directly or through regional representatives, information and, where available, photographs of your involvement in World Diabetes Day activities.

Please send to admin@commonwealthpharmacy.org

Appendix

World Diabetes Day 2009

Locations announcing public social and directly health related activities, for this November, listed on the World Diabetes Day website include:

Australia

• Bourke, NSW
• Brisbane
• Canberra
• Knox, Victoria
• Mackay, Queensland
• Melbourne
• Perth

Barbados

• Bridgetown
• Savannah

Bermuda

• Hamilton

Canada

• Edmonton, Alberta
• Kamloops, BC
• Kingsville, Ontario
• London, Ontario
• New Tecumseth, Ontario
• Powerview, Manitoba
• Sarnia
• Toronto
• Vancouver
• Victoria BC
• Windsor, Ontario

Cayman Islands

• Grand Cayman
• Savannah

Cyprus

• Nicosia

India

• Ahmedabad
• Argatula Tripura
• Banalore
• Belguam
• Calicut, Kerala
• Doiwala Dehradun
• Hyderabad
• Karnataka
• Kochi
• Kolkata
• Lucknow
• New Dehli
• Salem
• Tenkasi Tamilnadu
• Trivandrum

Jamaica

• Kingston

Kenya

• Mombasa

Malaysia

• Putrajara
• Sau Seng Lu, Puchong

New Zealand

• Blenheim

Nigeria

• Lagos
• Sagamu, Ogun

South Africa

• Cape Town
• Durban

Sri Lanka

• Kandy

United Kingdom

• Barton on Humber
• Gateshead
• Hayling Island
• Kirkwall
• Lampeter
• London
• Portsmouth
• Saltcoats