Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders | 2019
World diabetes day: celebrating two decades of Progress in combating diabetes and its complications in Iran
Abstract
Every year World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated on 14 November all across the globe to raise awareness about the diabetes and its prevention, complications, and treatment. November 14th is chosen as the WWD because it is the birthday of Frederick Banting who discovered insulin in collaboration with his colleague Charles Best in 1922. It should be noted that since discovery of insulin, management of diabetes and its complications has been revolutionized.World Diabetes Day was first launched in 1991 by the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to the rapid rise of diabetes around the world. For 2019World Diabetes Day, the theme of “DIABETES: PROTECT YOUR FAMILY” has been chosen for a second consecutive year to highlight the supportive role family can play in the management of patients with diabetes. Diabetes which is a major non-communicable disease (NCD) consists the seventh cause of mortality in the world; and, in high and middle income countries and constitutes the sixth leading cause of NCD-related death [1]. NCDs are responsible for 71% of all global mortality, and more than 85% of them occur in lowand middle-income countries [1]. In 2017, the number of patients with diabetes was estimated to be 425 million, and this number is predicted to rise to 629 million in 2045 [2]. The recent sharp increase in the prevalence of NCDs can be attributed to different factors such as accelerated urbanization, unhealthy lifestyle (poor diet and low physical activity), and ageing populations [3]. Moreover, a number of metabolic risk factors such as increased blood pressure, hyperglycemia, increased blood lipids levels, and obesity lead to metabolic changes that increase the risk of NCDs and diabetes [3]. Unhealthy behaviors like physical inactivity, unhealthy diet and tobacco and alcohol use which increase the risk of NCDs are modifiable [1]. In Iran, NCDs are responsible for 79.2% of general mortality and 74% of burden of diseases [4]. In 2017, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in Iran was 9.6%, and there existed approximately five million adults with diabetes living in the country [2]. Iran is one of the countries with high number of adults with diabetes in the region and current number of petients is predicted to double by 2045 [2]. Considering the increased rate of NCDs in the world and the high health and economic burden they impose, the WHO to control NCDs, proposed 9 global targets for NCDs to be achieve by all nations by 2025 against the figures in baseline in 2010 [5]. According WHO plan, and considering the fact that the prevalence of NCDs is considerably high in the country, Iran committed to achieve NCDs goals by 2025. To facilitate this, a national NCD committee was established at the Ministry of Health in Iran, and the “National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of NCDs and the Related Risk Factors” was officially launched in 2014 [6]. With the view of fulfilment of WHO global mandate, Iranian NCDs committee established 13 targets to be achieved in Iran by 2025. Amongst these targets, 7 are the same as WHO targets, 2 are modified WHO targets, and 4 are Iranspecific targets [6]. In regards with diabetes, the WHO and Iranian targets are identical and aim to halt increasing rate of obesity and diabetes by 2025 to the same figures recorded in 2010 [6]. To fulfil national NCDs goals which are designed and developed based on the WHO global mandates, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute (EMRI) developed several national NCD projects in collaboration with the Ministry of * Bagher Larijani [email protected]