November 14 is World Diabetes Day – an international event to raise awareness about a disease that is having a global impact. The condition currently affects 415 million people around the world. Nine per cent of the world’s entire adult population (ages 20-79) have the disease known as “the silent killer.”
Locally, medical experts believe it is the biggest medical challenge facing Australia’s health system, with over 500,000 Australians estimated to have diabetes. Meanwhile a 2015 study from New Zealand estimated over 250, 000 people are living with the condition.
The focus of the event this year, “Eyes on Diabetes,” is to promote the importance of screening to ensure early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and treatment to reduce the risk of serious complications.
Early diagnosis is crucial, especially given that 1 in 2 adults with diabetes is currently undiagnosed.
The International Diabetes Foundation is hopeful that their “Test2Prevent” initiative will help overcome these figures and reach a target of 1 million individual screenings this November.
You can find more information about World Diabetes Day and the Test2Prevent Initiative at the International Diabetes Foundation Website.
