Diabetes Awareness Month exists to share experiences and raise awareness about both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
How Diabetes Awareness Month started
Part of Diabetes Awareness Month is World Diabetes Day, which is November 14. The date marks the birthday of Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin in 1921 along with Charles Best.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) started World Diabetes Day in 1991. It became more established in 2006 when the United Nations issued a resolution on it.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, World Diabetes Day aims to “be the global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global health issue.” The theme for this year’s World Diabetes Day is “The Family and Diabetes.”
What can you do to recognize World Diabetes Day and Diabetes Awareness Month?
World Diabetes Day: 10 things to do
- Share, either in person or on social media, about how you and your family live with diabetes — tips, tricks, insights, hard truths, and funny stories.
- Use the hashtags #DiabetesAwarenessMonth, #NDAM, #WorldDiabetesDay, and #WDD.
- Wear sky blue, the color for diabetes awareness.
- Apply a Facebook frame to your profile photo. Search for “Diabetes Awareness Month 2019” and pick from ten frames to use.
- Download shareable posters and fact sheets on type 1 diabetes at Beyond Type 1.
- Find a World Diabetes Day event in your community. Check out JDRF and the American Diabetes Association to find a diabetes community near you.
- Set goals for better health and diabetes management for the year to come.
- Join an online diabetes community. Visit our Facebook page to follow us.
- Go outside and do something active with your family.
- Dlife.com suggests: “Take a selfie with the Blue Circle Selfie App available for iOS and Android phones and tablets. Simply take a selfie or a group picture, position the blue circle around the image and share it on social media (#WDD) with a personal message.
Whatever you do to commemorate this day and month, we hope you can connect with others, share the joys and hardships of diabetes, and have a little fun!
