World Health Day is celebrated every year on April 7 to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organization in 1948. It has been celebrated since 1950.

Each year, a specific health theme is chosen to highlight a priority area of ​​interest for the World Health Organization.
World Health Day is a global campaign that invites everyone to pay special attention to a health issue with global repercussions.

For 2016, the theme is: “Beat diabetes: ramp up prevention, improve care and strengthen surveillance.”

1. The diabetes epidemic is increasing rapidly in many countries, and dramatically in low- and middle-income countries.

2. A large proportion of diabetes cases are preventable. Some simple lifestyle measures have proven effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight, engaging in regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of diabetes.

3. Diabetes is treatable. Diabetes can be managed and treated to prevent complications. Increased access to diagnosis, education on self-management of the disease, and affordable treatment are key components of the response.

4. Efforts to prevent and treat diabetes will be important for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to reduce premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by one-third by 2030. Many sectors of society have an important role to play, including governments, employers, educators, and manufacturers, as well as civil society, the private sector, the media, and each of us.

Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar, provides us with the energy we need to live. If it cannot reach the cells to be converted into energy, sugar accumulates in the blood until it reaches harmful levels.