On World Diabetes Day, Ban urges early diagnosis and treatment

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed that early diagnosis and effective treatment are critical to the management of diabetes, saying it is “unacceptable” that people with the condition die because they lack information, treatment or access to life-saving medicines.

“Governments must do everything possible to close all gaps so people with diabetes can recover and avoid the damage to their heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves that is caused by the disease,” Mr. Ban said in a message to mark World Diabetes Day.

According to the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes deaths could double between 2005 and 2030, with poorer countries bearing the brunt of the epidemic. Eighty per cent of the projected new cases could occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Currently, diabetes afflicts more than 220 million people worldwide, and no country is unaffected, according to WHO. In 2005 alone, diabetes killed an estimated 1.1 million people across the world, more than half of them women, according to the agency.

“It is crucial to educate people at risk or those who are suffering from the disease so they can avoid complicating factors such as smoking, and understand how to manage their condition. This will prevent long-term complications which take a heavy toll in human suffering and financial cost,” the Secretary-General said.

Diabetes is a chronic disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. This leads to an increased concentration of glucose in the blood.

The General Assembly will in September next year convene a high-level meeting on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Mr. Ban urged those who will attend to use the occasion to show their commitment to tackling diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

He called for diet and lifestyle changes for better health, including reducing the consumption of highly processed foods and increasing activities such as walking and cycling, which he said are beneficial to both people's bodies and the planet.

“On World Diabetes Day, let us all do our part to control the disease and ensure that people who have it receive the care and treatment they need,” the Secretary-General said.

Ala Alwan, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health, pointed out that people can take daily low-cost steps to prevent diabetes or delay its onset. Such measures include healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco and the harmful use of alcohol.