National Diabetes Month & World Diabetes 2023
Every November individuals and groups that advocate for the diabetes community stand together to spread the word about diabetes awareness and support each other in improving diabetes management.
Good news – November 2023 is right on track to be another momentous one for bringing much-needed attention to diabetes, which is why we’re excited to post about it.
What is National Diabetes Month?
It’s pretty much as the name suggests – an annual observance dedicated to raising awareness about diabetes, a chronic health condition that impacts more than 37 million individuals in the United States alone, leads to over $300 billion in medical expenses each year and is one of the leading causes of death in the nation.
Raising awareness of diabetes is arguably more important now than at any other moment in history as incidents of Type 2 diabetes continue to grow at an alarming rate and impact younger and younger individuals, including children and teens.
Not only does National Diabetes Month serve to put a spotlight on the disease, but it’s also an opportunity to educate the approximately 96 million adult Americans (1 in 3) who qualify as “prediabetic” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about the risk factors for Type 2 diabetes and ways they can potentially avoid developing the condition with dietary and lifestyle changes.
Finally, National Diabetes Month is a time for those living with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes to reassess, refocus, and recommit to their own diabetes management programs. This is exactly what the National Institutes of Health (NIH) hopes with a 2023 campaign geared toward preventing diabetes-related health problems.
Take charge of tomorrow
This is the theme of National Diabetes Month 2023, and it’s a great one because diabetes comes with a host of related health complications, many of which are very serious, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, diabetic neuropathy, vision loss, foot problems, and many others. The best way to avoid these health concerns is for each one of us to “take charge” of our health and properly manage our diabetes.
This includes testing blood sugar regularly, whether with a glucose meter and test strips or a doctor-prescribed continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system.
It means taking insulin and other prescribed diabetes medications on schedule and as directed by a physician.
It also requires some important dietary and lifestyle considerations to maintain a healthy weight and keep blood sugar under control.
Check out the handy tips from NIH to help you take charge and make the most out of National Diabetes Month.
World Diabetes Day
World Diabetes Day (WDD) also takes place in November. It was founded in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to a growing diabetes crisis on a global level.
It’s held on November 14th, which also happens to be the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922.
WWD is the largest diabetes campaign in the world, reaching an international audience of more than 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. Like National Diabetes Month, WDD sets a new intention or theme each year and for 2023 it’s a particularly poignant one.
Access To Diabetes Care
Millions of people and families around lack access to proper diabetes care, as well as the tools and supplies necessary for healthy blood sugar control. World Diabetes Day hopes to shed light on this issue and inspire governments and private sectors around the world to invest in diabetes care and prevention – and make it available for all!
This year’s campaign will feature key messaging that includes the importance of understanding the risk of Type 2 diabetes in the hopes that access to information will help more and more people prevent or delay the onset of the disease. The slogan for this year is Know Your Risk, Know Your Response. To go with it, the International Diabetes Federation has created a handy online risk assessment tool available in many different languages.
Other messaging topics include providing individuals already diagnosed with diabetes access to correct information and the best available medicines so that they’re able to effectively control blood sugar and manage their diabetes. The campaign also seeks to shed light on the importance for healthcare professionals to receive sufficient and current training to provide the best possible care to diabetes patients. To help, the Federation has also created a free online School of Diabetes available to healthcare professionals interested in furthering their diabetes education.
Conclusion – November is a big month!
November 2023 sees two of the world’s most important diabetes campaigns kick into full swing. As anyone living with diabetes knows, the greater we understand the disease as a national and international community, the healthier people all around the world will be able to live with diabetes. Here’s to a powerful and inspiring November!
We hope you found this post informative and insightful. At Diabetic Warehouse, we’re committed to helping those with diabetes manage blood sugar with a complete selection of testing and treatment supplies at prices up to 65% less than those found at most pharmacies and suppliers.
Diabetic Warehouse is a trusted supplier of diabetes care products and accessories. For more information and to explore a complete range of products, including glucose meters and test strips, insulin syringes, pen needles, continuous glucose monitoring systems, and more, visit www.diabeticwarehouse.org.
