Awareness

President's editorial

The aim of the World Health Organization (WHO) is the achievement of the highest possible level of health for all the world's people. From its global headquarters in Geneva and its Regional Offices, it assists national governments achieve this aim by setting international norms and standards, and providing leadership and technical support. WHO has substantial influence and prestige and has several major accomplishments to its credit, most notably the global eradication of smallpox in 1979, and major reductions in the burden of polio, leprosy, river blindness and tuberculosis.

In the last few years, there has been an important but little-publicized

Egypt and some of the Gulf countries have among the highest prevalence rates of diabetes in the world, notably Type 2 diabetes. Changes in socio-economic patterns, relatively rapid urbanization, and a 'fast-food culture' are taking their toll. In Egypt and the Gulf region, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is now a major health problem, and high blood cholesterol levels and hypertension are recognized as 'silent killers'. However, there is relatively little awareness of the serious threat to health presented by diabetes, or its role in causing CVD.

Over 80 years after the discovery of insulin, access to it is still problematic for people in many parts of the developing world. In February 2001, at a meeting between the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), a call was made for the establishment of a non-governmental organization to improve the sustainable, affordable and uninterrupted supply of quality insulin for people with Type 1 diabetes in areas of need.

Editor-in-Chief's editorial

"More than 300 million people world wide are at risk of developing diabetes, and the disease's economic impact in some hard-hit countries could be higher than that of the AIDS pandemic, diabetes experts warned." Reuters, 25 August 2003. This was the thrust of an article which was read by people all over the world on the day on which the second edition of the Diabetes Atlas was launched by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).

Editor-in-chief's editorial

President's editorial

Opinions are divided as to the positive and negative aspects of the growth in the reach and power of the media. Good or bad, the dramatic evolution of the media has undoubtedly created some interesting opportunities for campaign and advocacy organizations that wish to develop links with the media in order to spread their message. Stijn Deceukelier looks at ways in which diabetes associations can maximize contacts with the media.