World Diabetes Day being observed today

World Diabetes Day is being observed today (Sunday) to raise awareness and educate people about the disease.

Every year, the day is celebrated on November 14 to mark the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who discovered the insulin hormone along with Charles Herbert Best in 1922. 

As per International Diabetes Federation, 366 million people have diabetes worldwide, while the number is predicted to rise to 552 million by the year 2030.

According to experts, an estimated 463 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, with Type-2 diabetes that needs to be treated with insulin sensitisers making up about 90% of the cases.

This year theme of the day is "access to diabetes care".

The theme encourages people to be aware of the diabetes mellitus set of metabolic disorders so that they can benefit from the education on disease and treatment, dietary changes, and exercise, with the goal of keeping both short-term and long-term blood glucose levels within acceptable bounds. 

The day was established by the International Diabetes Foundation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1991, as a response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by the ailment. 

Health professionals estimate that the figures will continue to rise, and considering the fact that diabetes at least doubles a person's risk of early death, the need to raise awareness about the metabolic disorder and tips on maintaining blood sugar levels are at an all-time high.

World Diabetes Day was officially recognised by the United Nations (UN) in 2006 with the passage of a resolution to this effect.