Team VIVA! is recognising World Diabetes Day (WDD) today, an international event designed to raise awareness about diabetes. 

Team VIVA! wearing blue for WDD

VIVA! employees took time today to consider the impact of diabetes on people living with the disease, both worldwide and in Australia. The team also wore blue, the traditional colour of WDD, to mark the day and shared stories with our followers to raise awareness Australia-wide.

Diabetes is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and lower-limb amputation. Furthermore, diabetes is the leading cause of vision loss in Australia. More than one-third of all people currently living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes will develop some form of damage to their eyes that can lead to blindness.

Eyes on Diabetes

The theme of WDD 2016 is Eyes on Diabetes. This year’s activities focus on promoting the importance of screening to ensure early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and treatment to reduce the risk of serious complications. The day has been celebrated every year on November 14 since its inception in 1991.

Around 1.7 million Australians are living with diabetes and one person develops diabetes every five minutes. For every individual diagnosed with diabetes, there is usually a family member or carer who also ‘lives with diabetes’ every day in a support role. This means an estimated 2.4 million Australians are affected by diabetes every day.

Find out more

To learn more about WDD and diabetes, click here to visit the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) website. Alternatively check out Diabetes Australia.