World Diabetes Day – November 14th Global Health Empowerment

Dr. K P Poulose MD, FRCP (L),Principal Consultant in Medicine,SUT Hospital, Pattom

World Diabetes Day is observed every year on November 14thsince 1991, the birthday of Sir Fredrick Banting (Canada) who discovered insulin in 1921 along with his coworker Charles Best.Worlds’ largest diabetes awareness campaign is being done in 160 countries on this day under the auspices of WHO and IDF (International Diabetes foundation).Every year the WHO institutes a theme and the theme in 2024 is ‘Global Health Empowerment’.

Even in 1978, a conference was held in Alma Ata in Kazakhstan by WHO and passed a resolution known as the ‘Alma Ata Declaration, (Health for all by2000) giving importance to Primary Health Care for all.Maintaining good health is an individual’s right as education, food and shelter and it is the primary responsibility of the Government to provide sufficient health care to all of its citizens without discrimination.This meeting was followed by another WHO meeting in Ottawa (Canada) in 1986 to scrutinize the progress of ‘Alma Ata Declaration’ and this meeting underscored social equity in addition to nutrition, income and education.

Only by improvement of the primary health centres, one can provide sufficient care to poor diabetic patients. This idea is labeled as Global Health Empowerment of all citizens for getting adequate treatment for their infirmities including Diabetes Mellitus.InIndia there are about 100 million diabetes patients and 50% were undiagnosed.Sixty percent of patients with Diabetes, experiencedistress – the fear of developing diabetes related complications in view of their poor income, dependency and lack of support. One million diabetes patients die every year in India.The disparity in income affects proper treatment especially for Type I Diabetes and projects like ‘Mittai project’ instituted by the Government of Kerala is a welcome innovation.

Health empowerment also includes knowledgeand awareness about Diabetes which is a life style disease and can be controlled or prevented byrestriction of diet, exercise, regular intake of drugs and periodic evaluation of the disease.