World Diabetes Day

14 November 2011

World Diabetes Day, on the 14th November every year, has grown from humble beginnings to become a globally-celebrated event to increase awareness about diabetes.

Comprising hundreds of campaigns, activities, screenings, lecture, meetings and more, World Diabetes Day is proving internationally effective in spreading the message about diabetes.

World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes - its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness in most cases. 

Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and WHO, the Day is celebrated on 14 November to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.

WHO estimates that more than 346 million people worldwide have diabetes. This number is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Almost 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.

World Diabetes Day logo

The logo of World Diabetes Day is a blue circle, and this is recognised by hundreds of thousands of people with diabetes throughout the world. World Diabetes Day (whereas Diabetes Week is solely a UK-wide event) is a truly international event, and having a distinctive logo is an essential part of spreading the message about diabetes to as wide audience as possible.