World Health Day 2016
lightbox[whdeng]World Health Day 2016
World Health Day 2016
World Health Day is celebrated on 7 April every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected that highlights a priority area of public health. The theme for World Health Day 2016 will be diabetes, a noncommunicable disease (NCD) directly impacting millions of people of globally, mostly in low- and middle-income countries.
Diabetes is a serious, chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. The hormone insulin regulates blood sugar, or glucose. There are three major types of diabetes:
- Type I diabetes, which is the most frequent among children and adolescents;
- Type II diabetes, which is the most frequent among adults and it is linked to obesity or overweight, lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, family history, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol/triglyceride levels, smoking and alcohol;
- Gestational diabetes which is a complication of pregnancy that affects an estimated 10% of pregnancies globally.
Raised blood sugar, a common effect of uncontrolled diabetes, may over time lead to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
If left uncontrolled diabetes can lead to other major complications such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Neuropathy
- Retinopathy
- Kidney disease
- Peripheral vascular disease, amputations
Prevention
To help prevent type II diabetes and its complications, people should:
- achieve and maintain healthy body weight;
- be physically active – at least 30 minutes of regular, moderate-intensity activity on most days. More activity is required for weight control;
- eat healthy and reduce sugar and saturated fats intake;
- avoid tobacco use – smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
