Gwendolyn Carleton
The 2014 Global Diabetes Walk was the biggest in the event’s 10-year history, with 56 countries represented and more than 300,000 people participating.
It’s a record! 145 organisations have registered 1,087 Global Diabetes Walks in 56 countries worldwide – with an amazing 302,367 participants. That’s more than a quarter million people putting their legs and voices behind one message: that individuals, governments and societies must take steps to prevent diabetes.
Thanks to everyone who made this 10th Global Diabetes Walk the best to date. And if you walked but haven’t registered yet, let us know! We’ll tally the final numbers in December, and include them in our Annual Review.
Walks in Africa
132 walks were held with 25,887 participants in 12 African countries (Congo (Kinshasa), Ethiopia, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo and Uganda). The biggest walks took place in Ethiopia, with 5,000 people participating in 10 walks organised by the Ethiopian Diabetes Association.
Walks in Europe
28 walks were held with 4,075 participants in 8 countries (Denmark, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Uzbekistan). The largest walk was organised by Novo Nordisk in Denmark (Kalundborg) with 650 participants.
Walks in the Middle East & North Africa
18 walks were held with 16,009 participants in 6 countries (Afghanistan, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey and Yemen). The biggest walks took place in Qatar, where Qatar Diabetes Association organised 10 walks with 6,000 participants.
Walks in North America & Caribbean
28 walks were held with 18.200 participants in 4 countries (Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico and Saint Lucia). The biggest walks took place in Mexico, where The Mexican Diabetes Federation planned seven walks in different parts of Mexico and gathered 12.000 people.
Walks in South & Central America
48 walks were held with 59,352 participants in 9 countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay and Peru). Brazil had the largest walks, with FENAD (National Federation of Assistance to Diabetics) organising 18 walks with 10,000 participants in all regions of the country.
Walks in Western Pacific
52 walks were held with 22,443 participants in 10 countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, China, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vietnam). A massive awareness campaign deserves special mention. The Chinese Centre of Health Education organised a health education programme that reached a remakable 600,000 people with its messages about diabetes prevention and control.
Walks in South East Asia
1,026 walks were held with 178,305 participants in 4 countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Sri Lanka). India was again the world’s most prolific Global Diabetes Walk supporter, hosting 1,016 walks across the country. Medical Trust Hospital and Diabetes Care Centre, together with the Higher Secondary National Service Scheme, planned the largest series of walks in India - an impressive 516 walks in 14 districts of Kerala, with more than 2500 people participating. Other interesting walks took place in Philippines and Malaysia. The Bucor Diabetes Care team organised four walks for 2,500 prisoners inside the Maximum Security Compound & Medium Security Camp in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. In Malaysia, Columbia Asia Hospitals planned a huge walk in Titiwangsa Park, and 3,000 walkers attended, drawing plenty of media coverage in the process. Read more about this walk.
***********CORRECTION**************
The first version of this story mistakenly counted the 600,000 participants in the Chinese awareness campaign as Walk participants (in fact, this is the number of clicks that this impressive campaign received).