Unite for Diabetes!
Diabetes is serious and there are 275 new cases in Australia every day.
Diabetes threatens to overwhelm our healthcare system.
Diabetes Australia – Vic looks forward to your support to Unite for Diabetes. No matter where you are, it is important to add to the global campaign and put diabetes in the international spotlight.
Over 1,050,000 Australians currently know they have diabetes and live with it every day. Hundreds of thousands of Australians have silent, undiagnosed type 2 diabetes. Over 2 million Australians have pre-diabetes and are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
When does World Diabetes Day take place?
World Diabetes Day takes place on 14 November every year. The date was chosen because it marks the birthday of Frederick Banting, who, along with Charles Best, is credited with the discovery of insulin in 1921.
United Nations World Day
World Diabetes Day is now an official United Nations World Health Day. On 20 December 2006, the UN General Assembly passed resolution 61/225, which designated the existing World Diabetes Day as an official world day beginning in 2007. This landmark resolution also recognized diabetes as “a chronic, debilitating and costly disease associated with major complications that pose severe risks for families, countries and the entire world.”
Where does it take place?
World Diabetes Day is celebrated worldwide. It brings together millions of people in over 160 countries to raise awareness of diabetes, including children and adults affected by diabetes, politicians, healthcare professionals, healthcare decision-makers and the media. Numerous local and national events are organised by the member associations of the International Diabetes Federation of which Diabetes Australia is one.
In Victoria we are holding events for stakeholders, partners and consumers
- Lighting up Hamer Hall which is the city’s premier concert venue in the Art’s precinct and is a circular shape.
- Hosting a social marketing summit for bloggers at the Grand Hyatt Hotel with Kerry Sparling from the US as the key speaker
- Presenting the Diabetes Australia Research Trust’s Millennium Grant and 20 seeding grants to diabetes researchers for their projects for the coming year
- Presenting a Kellion Victory Medal to people who have lived with diabetes for 50, 60 or 70 years
- Hosting Live Well with Diabetes on 14 November in Geelong
- Hosting Diabetes Plus Technology Expo on 17 November in Melbourne
- Celebrating with our Family Fun Day on 24 November at Luna Park
For more information and resources to support WDD events visit www.worlddiabetesday.org
Our pick of other World Diabetes Day Initiatives
Blue Fridays
Blue Fridays is an important World Diabetes Day initiative from Diabetes Social Media Advocacy.
Blue Fridays aims to raise awareness of diabetes. On Fridays throughout November, as well as on WDD itself, wear blue.
And remember to tell people why you're doing it! This is a terrific opportunity to do some diabetes myth-busting, as well as some advocacy for those living with diabetes.
Find out more here or jump on their Facebook page
Send a postcard for World Diabetes Day!
One of the many activities happening around the world this November for World Diabetes Day is the World Diabetes Day Postcard Exchange from The Butter Compartment.
The blog site is named after the place in the fridge insulin supplies often occupy.
Put your creativity to good use and reach out to someone whose life is also affected by diabetes by creating a postcard featuring the blue World Diabetes Day circle. When you email your name and address, you will recieve a name and address in return.
Who doesn't love a penpal? Send the postcard you create, and you will receive a postcard in return!
Find out more here or jump on their Facebook page
Big Blue Test
The Big Blue Test is a program of the Diabetes Hands Foundation that encourages people with diabetes to test their blood sugar, exercise for 14-20 minutes, test again and share their experience on BigBlueTest.org. For every test, people with diabetes in need receive life-saving supplies through Big Blue Test grants that are awarded to humanitarian diabetes charities in the US and around the world, made possible thanks to the program sponsor.
