Today 7th April is World Health Day and the United Nations is putting focus on Diabetes. In the message released today by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, he stated that diabetes is an ancient disease that is taking a growing toll on the modern world’.According to him, 108 million adults were living with diabetes in 1980 but by 2014, that number had risen to 422 million — 8.5 per cent of adults — reflecting a global increase in risk factors such as being overweight or obese.

He also emphasized that the burden of diabetes is not equally shared within or between countries, as people in low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected. In his words ‘wherever we find poverty we also find disease and premature deaths’. It is also quite timely to note that the World Health organization has just published thr first Global report on diabetes, outlining the magnitude of the problems as well as proposing mitigating strategies.

To understand what diabetes is, causes, types and how it is treated watch the short video below by Health Conditions Tube.