Beat diabetes: Scale up prevention, strengthen care, and enhance surveillance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated April 7 as World Health Day. This year, the primary focus is the ever rising epidemic of Diabetes, specifically in middle and low-income countries. Recognizing this is a problem related to health and fitness, Viterbo Rec Sports wanted to promote this global effort to reduce the effect of diabetes on our health, health systems, and economic systems.

Important Facts

• In 2014 the global prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be 9 percent among adults aged 18+ years.
• In 2012, an estimated 1.5 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes.
• More than 80% of diabetes deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
• WHO projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030.
• Healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Take a quiz sponsored by the WHO, to gauge your own knowledge about diabetes.