The World Diabetes Day was observed globally on Monday to raise awareness about the disease. In the provincial metropolis, several events marked the day, which were mostly held in hospitals where special medical camps for diabetic patients were set up. Observance of the day was started by the International Federation of Diabetes, which was later embraced by the UN, through a resolution in 2006. Observance of the day on November 14 is because of birthday of Frederick Banting on this date, who along with Charles Best, discovered insulin in 1922. Leonardo Thomsin was the first child who received insulin at age of three. The World Diabetes Day logo is the blue circle. According to WHO, more than 346 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80 percent of diabetes deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.
This year the theme of the day was Diabetes in Children and Pregnancy. According to a study, in Pakistan, 13 percent of the population in urban areas and 11 percent of the population in rural areas is affected with the disease. Within the age range of 25 to 30 years, the disease rate would be double while Pakistan will have the third largest population of the world at that time. Representative of the International Diabetes Federation in Pakistan, Dr Javed Akram said that disease complications might start in a patient if blood sugar is not properly controlled. He emphasised the need of controlling the blood sugar level of diabetic mothers during pregnancy otherwise there might be congenital malformations in the child. Akram advised to avoid oral medicine of diabetes during pregnancy for women. He said that 50 percent of patients were transferred the disease by their parents and there was no remedy for it while others who became diabetic due to environmental factors could be saved by lifestyle modifications. Introducing more physical activities and exercise to routine and sensible eating could reduce the risk of being diabetic, he said. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Hyperglycaemia, or raised blood sugar, is a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes and over time leads to serious damage to many of the body’s systems, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
