world diabetes awareness day, nov. 14.

To address the global threat posed by diabetes, World Diabetes Day was established with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) by the International Diabetes Federation in 1991. This date marks the birthday of Dr. Fredrick Banting, a co-discoverer of insulin. The 2022 theme is Access to Diabetes Care. One in 10 adults is living with diabetes and according to the WHO, close to 1 million are blind due to diabetic retinopathy. As the number of people with diabetes continues to rise, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, so too does the need for access to high-quality diabetes eye care. The ICO is in Official Relations with the WHO and promotes the key role of the ophthalmology community and those they work with in realizing the targets to increase eye-care coverage around the world.

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