World Diabetes Day lights up the world

- More than 150 landmarks around the world will be lit up to mark the first United Nations Diabetes DayNovember 14, as the world's first World Diabetes Day is the focus of the United NationsThese landmarks include many of the world's most iconic buildings and sitesThese landmarks will light up the sky with a blue circle-colored light, the global logo for diabetesOne of New York's most famous landmarks, the Empire State Building, was the first to join the World Diabetes Day event and agree to light up the blue lightsSince then, they have included the Sydney Opera House, the London Eye, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Tokyo Tower, The Niagara Falls, Dubai's Burj Al-Arab, Syria's Aleppo Citadel, Buenos Aires's Independent Minaret (Obelisk), Chicago's Sbelears Tower, Brazil's Rio de Janeiro's Christ's Tower and the world's most famous buildingProfessor Martin Silink, President of the International Diabetes Federation, the organization that launched the World Diabetes Day event, explained the significance of the lighting event: "The lights lit in these buildings will raise the hopes of 246 million people with diabetes worldwideThe lighting of so many landmarks is a strong declaration to governments that the global epidemic of diabetes cannot continue to be ignored"
resolution 61/225, adopted in November 2006, designated United Nations Diabetes DayThe resolution is the first major milestone in the International Diabetes Alliance's much-vaunted campaign to raise awareness of diabetes and its serious complicationsThe resolution identifies diabetes as a chronic, expendable and costlydisease, and theof thedisease can cause serious harm to families, countries and the world at large The United Nations has provided substantial support for World Diabetes Day and encouraged countries to take immediate steps to stop the epidemic Currently, 246 million people worldwide have diabetes If nothing is done, this number will reach 380 million in 20 years The resolution urges governments to develop national policies to prevent, care for and treat diabetes while committing to the sustainable development of healthcare health-care systems This is the first time that non-communicable diseases have been considered a global threat to health along with infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS To highlight the importance of World Diabetes Day, individuals are encouraged to wear pins that are fused in blue circles (the global label for diabetes) For more information about the event and how people are expressing their support, visit http://