WHO calls for action to prevent and manage diabetes  6 April 2015 – The overall risk of dying among people with diabetes is at least double that of their peers without diabetes. On World Health Day, 7 April, the World Health Organization is calling for a 2-pronged approach: interventions to prevent diabetes, and interventions to manage diabetes for people who have already developed the condition in order to reduce its progression. “Actions are needed both by governments and by people themselves”, says Dr Ala Alwan, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. He adds: “While individuals need to take responsibility for their own health through maintaining a healthy lifestyle, governments are responsible for creating environments that promote healthy living and for establishing measures that reduce the exposure of the population to risk behaviours that can lead to diabetes”.  Diabetes is a pandemic that remains hidden throughout most of the world, with up to half of all people with diabetes globally remaining undiagnosed. WHO projects that diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 14% of the population has diabetes. Studies indicate that in some countries, more than 20% of adults have diabetes. Diabetes is one of the 4 main noncommunicable diseases and together with cancer, heart attacks and strokes and lung disease, is responsible for 1.7 million deaths in the Region every year. These diseases all share 4 main lifestyle-related risk behaviours, namely unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and inappropriate Read more...