WDF staff spent World Diabetes Day 2016 with colleagues and partners, raising awareness about the global epidemic and how to address it.
14 November 2016 Anna Knauer Elley
This World Diabetes Day, WDF employees are again out in the field, working to raise awareness about diabetes and its prevention and treatment with partners at home and abroad.
Senior Programme Manager Bent Lautrup-Nielsen was the first of the WDF team to mark the day when he participated in a press conference and was interviewed by local radio station in connection with World Diabetes Day events in the Dominican Republic on 12 November. With a diabetes prevalence of 10.6% the Dominican Republic exceeds the global average of 8.3% and the need for more awareness about diabetes prevention among the general population is higher than ever, states Bent Lautrup-Nielsen, having visited the country for the first time.
‘The people of the Dominican Republic, in particular those of vulnerable areas and communities with low resources, are exposed to many diabetes risk factors – unhealthy diet, low level of physical activity, difficult access to care and education – and more information must be provided and capacity must be built. The World Diabetes Day is the most important popular event worldwide and fortunately civil society organisations and many other stakeholders of Dominican Republic have joined forces to organize great events.’
Later that day, three WDF colleagues joined nearly 1,000 Peruvians at a health festival in Lima marking World Diabetes Day.
The festival began with an educational fair, where diabetes clubs from throughout the region shared posters, educational displays and screening opportunities with their fellow healthcare professionals and patients. It was followed by a festive series of competitions; clubs danced, sang, and presented comic sketches explaining the importance of good care – and self-care – for people with diabetes. The hard-fought competition ended with prizes for the winners, and a rousing round of samba for all.
The event was sponsored by WDF partner the Peruvian Diabetes Association (ADIPER). It was followed by a Global Diabetes Walk in Lima on Nov. 13 that attracted nearly 500 enthusiastic participants.
Early on November 14, Programme Manager Kirza Buch Kristensen joined a huge Diabetes Walk in the city centre of Thekkinkadu maithan, Thrissur that was part of the kNOw Diabetes campaign. This year, organiser Medical Trust Hospital and Diabetes Care Centre arranged 977 Walks across the state of Kerala, India, attracting alomost 100,000 participants and earning itself the title of biggest Walk organiser to date.
The WDF Project Manager pointed to the importance of marking the World Diabetes Day in the state of Kerala, as Kerala is reported to have the highest prevalence of diabetes in India (up to 20.6%) and NCD risk factors such as high tobacco and alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are rampant in Kerala. The large scale event organised by the Medical Trust Hospital and Diabetes Care Centre bears evidence of the hard work and efforts done by our partners to prevent diabetes in Kerala.
There were a few employees left in Denmark, fortunately – and they met colleagues from Steno Diabetes Center for the traditional 3k Global Diabetes Walk around Gentofte Lake in Copenhagen.
”The Global Diabetes Walk campaign continues to grow” said Anna Knauer Elley, the event’s organiser. ”We are proud to announce that this year we are taking steps against diabetes together with more than 400,000 others – our Walk is therefore just one of many more than 1,700 Walks in 70 countries.
She encouraged the Walkers to discuss diabetes, and its impact on their lives, along their route. The red balloons they carried drew the attention of passers-by, and as in past years, many went home with school children encountered along the way.