Shine a light on diabetes

This month is World Diabetes Awareness Month and to raise awareness Diabetes Gibraltar has submitted this article to the Chronicle. World Diabetes Day lands on November 14 every year.

World Diabetes Day is marked every year on November 14, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. It was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to growing concerns about the escalating threat of Diabetes worldwide.

World Diabetes Day is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight.

The blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes awareness. It signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes epidemic.

Diabetes Gibraltar joins the global awareness drive during this month raising awareness, sharing information and offering support to our local community. Sadly, due to Covid 19 restrictions we have had to shelve plans for any local events on World Diabetes Day.

Since the introduction of the blue circle in 2006, monuments, buildings and homes around the world have been lit blue for diabetes awareness on World Diabetes Day.

Gibraltar will join this global initiative and light up the Moorish Castle in blue from Thursday 12 – Sunday 15 November. Our thanks to the Gibraltar Government for making this possible.