A tax on sugary drinks sold in Seattle has produced more money than expected. Now City Hall is sorting out how best to put the healthy revenue from unhealthy — without moderation! — beverages back into the community.
PDGN Vice-President Senator Mostafa Brahimi is winning his long battle to reduce obesity and prevent Type 2 diabetes in Morocco. He persuaded colleagues to back a cross party Task Force for Advocacy to legislate for a tax on high sugar content beverages. Senator Brahimi was behind the unanimous vote in November of the House of Representatives to tax sweet drinks.
Belize has stepped up efforts to reduce the devastation of Type 2 diabetes among young people, working-class persons, and persons recently diagnosed, through a self-care program. An initial 1,500 people with diabetes will be trained through a community-based support program. It is being conducted through the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Belize Diabetes Association and the Pan American Health Organization.
The British Columbia Government has announced extending the province’s current insulin pump program to all ages. BC now joins Ontario, Alberta and the Territories of Canada in providing publicly funded insulin pumps and supplies for those who live with type 1 diabetes regardless of age.
Maltese MP Claudette Buttigieg reports that the official Diabetes Working Group for the Parliament of Malta has been set up and had its first meeting in November. This follows the informal Diabetes Working Group which was set up by PDGN Vice-President Simon Busuttil in 2014. Advocacy Action – Want help setting up a group in your Parliament or advice on how to make your group even more effective? PDGN can help – [email protected].
In India, there are approximately 75 million people with diabetes and another 70 million who are classed as pre-diabetic. The situation has been described as an epidemic requiring urgent attention. URL: http://www.asianage.com/life/health/170618/study-finds-diabetes-has-become-an-epidemic-in-india-needs-urgent-attention.html