November is Diabetes Awareness Month

While currently living under the effects of the pandemic brought in by Covid 19, it is undeniable that we are still facing another battle for health with Diabetes. Diabetes, with all its different types, is affecting different types of people. According to the statistics made by the CDC, a total of 34.2 million people have Diabetes (10.5% of the US population), where 26.9 million people, including 26.8 million adults, are diagnosed and 7.3 million people are undiagnosed. Also, a total of 88 million people aged 18 years or older have prediabetes (34.5% of the adult US population). And 24.2 million people aged 65 years or older have prediabetes.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month

And with that, now more than ever, bringing awareness and education to the masses about Diabetes and all its different types is still essential. Did you know that World Diabetes Day is held every year on 14 November and is recognized not just in the US but in more than 160 countries? 14 November is the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best; in 1922? 

Each year, there are different themes for this special day and month by different organizations. In 2020, Worlddiabetesday.org’s theme is “The Nurse and Diabetes,” while their theme for 2018 and 2019 was “Family and Diabetes.” And now for the theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?.

And according to Everdayhealth.com, ADA’s spokesperson Daisy Diaz, “There are simple yet life-changing steps we can all take to recognize, reduce our risk, and ease the burden of diabetes. Join us this November to take #TheBigStepUp!”. And they have a list of events lined for each week of November.

• Week 1 (November 1–7): Step Up Awareness
• Week 2 (November 8–14): Step Up Detection
• Week 3 (November 15–21): Step Up Management
• Week 4 (November 22–28): Step Up and Thrive

Ways To Raise Awareness & How To Help

One of the easiest ways to participate in Diabetes Awareness Month is to show your support by wearing blue. The World Diabetes Day logo is the blue circle, which is also recognized as the global symbol for Diabetes.

Another way to show your support and help raise awareness is by sharing resources through your social media platforms. Social media is one of the best ways to connect with the people around you, especially your loved ones, or with anyone close to you that have Diabetes. You might even find groups within the community and create more spaces that allow sharing of stories and experiences, and this would help create a wider reach and more engagement.

Here are some websites where you can get updated information regarding Diabetes:

• The American Diabetes Association (ADA)
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• The World Health Organization (WHO)
• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Creating this environment of diabetes awareness and learning should also reflect in creating a healthy lifestyle for you and your loved ones. Helping ourselves along with the ones close to us is one of the first steps to being able to help others, which would then, of course, help with the cause more. 

Other significant ways wherein you can raise awareness and help would be:

1. Joining legitimate fundraisers that are in support of Diabetes research and education
2. Signing petitions that support the cause
3. Writing to your representatives and calling Congress to take more action
4. Continue Learning about Diabetes