World Diabetes Day

Today is a day that many would let come and go without recognition, but I'm going to dedicate today's blog to help change that - even if it's just for a single person. Every year, November 14th is World Diabetes Day. World Diabetes Day (WDD) is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world. It was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to the alarming rise in diabetes around the world. In 2007, the United Nations marked the Day for the first time with the passage of the United Nations World Diabetes Day Resolution in December 2006, which made the existing World Diabetes Day an official United Nations World Health Day.

The reason this is an important day and cause for me is two-fold. First and foremost, I work for a company called Novo Nordisk. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo has been fighting against this disease state and towards a cure since 1923. It's what I see every day, what I live every day when I get to work. In my professional career, and having worked for other large 'American' pharma companies (e.g. Wyeth, Genzyme), the company as a whole truly believes it is our responsibility to help find a cure and change diabetes. It's a great feeling to go home with, and I'm grateful - especially in these times - to work for such an exceptional organization.

The other reason it's important is my paternal grandmother was a type-1 diabetic, and succumed to complications from the disease in a time when current treatment would have extended her life and improved the quality of her life. Additionally, my mother-in-law is a type-2 diabetic. So I have personal skin in the game of seeing our organization's cause through to the end. I'm sure I'm not alone either. With the diabetes rate growing year after year, I would hazard to say that most of us have either someone in our immediate family impacted by the disease, or someone we closely know.

The National Diabetes Goal is 'By 2015, 45% of Americans who are at risk for type 2 diabetes will know their blood glucose level and what actions to take." It sounds like such a modest goal, but understand that the level of education on the disease is so poor that it's not clear if that goal will be reached. Find out if you're at risk next time you see your doctor, and get tested. Treatment today is exceptional, but only if people make use of it.

Ok, that's enough of my soapbox talk for the day. Step outside, and if you see a building, a monument, or whatever bathed in blue, you'll know why.

The London Eye on World Diabetes Day