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  1. Diabetes

Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the 4 major types of noncommunicable diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic respiratory diseases). It is a chronic condition that occurs when the body either does not produce enough insulin or cannot effectively use the insulin it does produce. Insulin is a hormone that regulates the blood sugar (glucose) formed from the food consumed by a person. Diabetes therefore results in raised blood sugar levels which, if not controlled, over time lead to serious damage to many of the body's systems.

There are 2 major forms of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is characterized by deficient insulin production and requires daily administration of insulin. Symptoms may occur suddenly and include extreme thirst, constant hunger, weight loss, excessive urination, blurred vision and fatigue.

Type 2 diabetes results from the body’s inability to effectively use its insulin. 90% of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. Symptoms may be similar to those of type 1 diabetes, but are often less marked. As a result, the condition may be diagnosed several years after onset, after complications have already developed. Type 2 diabetes is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity.

Reduction of the global and regional burden of diabetes requires a 2-pronged approach: interventions to prevent diabetes and interventions to manage people who have already developed the condition in order to reduce progression. Actions are needed both by governments and by people themselves, and at population level and individual health care level.

Beat diabetes: World Health Day 2016 campaign

Information resources

Recent publications

Diabetes infographic

Diabetes country profiles 2016

Global report on diabetes 2016

Halt the diabetes epidemic

Policy documents

Plan of action for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region [pdf 450kb]

 Prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases: report of the Secretary-General [pdf 134kb]

A prioritized research agenda for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases

Package of essential noncommunicable (PEN) disease interventions for primary health care in low-resource settings 

Links

International Diabetes Federation

American Diabetes Association

JDRF

Related topics

Tobacco

Physical activity

Obesity

Health promotion

Genetics

Related programmes

Tobacco Free Initiative

Nutrition

Collaborating centres

Diabetic Association of Pakistan, Karachi, Pakistan/WHO Collaborating Centre for Treatment, Education and Research in Diabetes and Diabetic Pregnancies

National Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics, Amman, Jordan/WHO Collaborating Centre for Diabetes Research, Education and Primary Health Care

Research Institue for Endocrine Sciences, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran/WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training on Endocrine Science

WHO collaborating centres

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