Diabetes Week – Know Diabetes, Fight Diabetes

Diabetes Week kicked off this week on 11 June, and this year’s theme is: Know Diabetes. Fight Diabetes. 

Since 1996, the number of people diagnosed in the UK has risen from 1.4 million to 3.5 million. Considering those likely to be living with undiagnosed diabetes, this number is closer to over 4 million and is estimated to rise to 5 million by 2025.

Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to life-changing complications such as amputation, blindness, heart attack or stroke that could otherwise be avoided. Sadly, this is also why 65 people die from diabetes each day in the UK.

While many individuals do what they can to manage their diabetes well, this isn’t true for everyone. As someone with a family history of type 2 diabetes, this is something I know all too well, often a result of cultural barriers, lack of understanding or outright denial.

This why Diabetes UK, throughout 11-18 June 2017 is encouraging the diabetes community to share their experiences and knowledge, using the hashtag #knowdiabetes. The aim is to inspire others to do the same, and in doing so, help someone else with the condition.

They are also asking people to share what fight diabetes means to them, under the hashtag #fightdiabetes. This might include the battle over funding, fighting pre-conceptions and prejudice or challenges around care.

Living with diabetes isn’t easy, but it needn’t be stressful, if you have all the information to live a long and active life around diabetes – from what to eat to how you manage your condition effectively.

There are lots of ways to support Diabetes Week:

• Join the conversation on social media using the hashtags #diabetesweek #knowdiabetes #fightdiabetes
• Hear from supporters on social media – they’ll be sharing their stories of how they ‘know diabetes’ and ‘fight diabetes’ during the week
• Download a poster to put up in your local community and help raise awareness – Diabetes UK has created a variety of posters to help supporters and HCPs understand ‘Know Diabetes. Fight Diabetes’
• If you are a HCP, you can join Diabetes UK’s professional network.