In the October 2017 issue of Diabetes Voice, we focus on the World Diabetes Day 2017 campaign theme which is “Women and Diabetes: our right to a healthy future.”

In the guest editorial, Dr Sania Nishstar, one of three candidates nominated for the post of Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), writes:

Approximately 199 million women live with diabetes which is projected to rise to 313 million by 2040.1 I fear this may just be the tip of the iceberg. Girls and women with diabetes experience a range of challenges. Power dynamics, gender roles and socioeconomic inequalities influence vulnerability to diabetes, such as by exposing women to poor diet and nutrition and physical inactivity disproportionately. These factors also affect women’s access to health services and health seeking behaviour, and amplify the impact of diabetes on women, particularly in developing countries.

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Featured articles include:

• All women with diabetes deserve a right to a healthy future: the theme of World Diabetes Day 2017 is Women and Diabetes. Many activities are planned this November 14, 2017 to bring greater awareness to women at risk for or living with diabetes around the world. Read more.
• Women with diabetes around the world: to support IDF’s World Diabetes Day 2017 theme, Diabetes Voice reached out to a variety of public or privately supported initiatives focused on improving the lives of women with diabetes around the world. Learn about initiatives in Singapore, Italy, the US and Saudi Arabia. Read more.
• IDF Congress 2017: Scientific Programme: IDF 2017 has nine streams covering all areas of the field of diabetes. In this issue learn more about Manny Hernandez, Stream Lead for Living with Diabetes; Hak Chul Jang, Stream Lead for Diabetes in Women and Children; and Massimo Massi Benedetti, Stream Lead for Diabetes in Society and Culture who provide details about their respective programs and what they have planned for the IDF Congress 2017. Read more.
• Lessons from WINGS: Belma Malanda, Senior Programme Manager for IDF, reviews WINGS (Women in India with GDM Strategy), important take-home messages and emphasizes how this multi-level strategy helps to approach gestational diabetes not only at the individual level but also at family and community levels providing a holistic approach to overcome barriers to care. Read more.

Also in this issue:

• Diabetes in pregnancy: an opportunity for healthy change by Jessica Lynn
• Women living with type 1 diabetes go the distance by Erin Spineto
• Type 1 diabetes and pregnancy by Ginger Vieira
• News-in-Brief articles from around the world and IDF regional news