What you got up to and ideas for next year.
Sri Lanka
A Sri Lankan home nursing service was at the forefront of advocating this year’ s campaign for World Diabetes Day – ‘Nurses Make the Difference’, by recognising the important work nurses perform.
The World Diabetes Day theme aimed to value the crucial role nurses play in supporting people with diabetes.
This was taken to a practical level for community nurses by the Sri Lankan English Nursing Care Organisation that announced they would be investing in further training and education for their team of home nurses.
Advocacy Action: Your national nursing organisation may have plans for next year’s WDD, or other events that would help diabetes advocacy. Some of our members work closely with nursing organisations all year round.
Sweden
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden marked World Diabetes Day fundraising for Type 1 with the release of an official photo showing the heir to the Swedish throne wearing a blue knot bracelet in support of diabetes research.
The bracelet Victoria is wearing can be bought for 100 SEK (around $12) on the Child Diabetes Foundation website. Proceeds from the sale go to support the fight against type 1 diabetes.
In Sweden, 900 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes each year; the country has 8,000 children who have the disease. Globally around 600,000 children have Type 1 diabetes.
Advocacy Action: Can you encourage your head of state, ceremonial or political, to engage with the issue of diabetes? Is there a well-known personality within your country with the condition who could help you to promote campaigns, events and WDD? How many children are there with diabetes in your country? Are they receiving the appropriate care – access to insulin, testing facilities, regular check-ups, support in school etc?