Esteemed representatives of the Philippine Government and the
Diplomatic Corps;
Friends from media and academia;
Distinguished participants;
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good morning and welcome to the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.
Today we are gathered to celebrate the day WHO was founded. Every year, we select a public health issue to highlight on this historic day.
The theme for this year's World Health Day is diabetes.
There are 100 million diabetics in China alone. In all, the disease affects more than 130 million people and their families in the Western Pacific Region.
We all know that diabetes is a chronic disease that can cause blindness, kidney failure, leg amputation and other ailments that lead to premature death.
But what many of you may not know is that diabetes is not just a worry for older people. Nowadays many young adults are shocked to discover that they have diabetes.
There are different types of diabetes.
Type 1 is when your body cannot produce enough insulin and usually starts as a child.
Type 2 is when your body cannot use insulin effectively. This is seen mostly in adults.
And finally, gestational diabetes is a temporary condition in which a pregnant woman’s blood glucose levels are above normal during pregnancy.
In the Region, diabetes sidelines millions of breadwinners during their most productive years — and burdens their families with health-care costs.
Productivity suffers in countries as people to spend more time getting treatment and less time on the job. The situation is worse in low- and middle-income countries, where accessing care is more difficult.
More and more, leaders are realizing that the only option that is sustainable prevention and management of early diabetic cases.
Prevention efforts are complicated by the fact that diabetes is genetic: If your family has a history of diabetes, then you are at risk.
But unhealthy lifestyle is a decisive factor. Eating too much unhealthy foods and not being physically active contribute to overweight and obesity, which are the two most important risk factors.
Now, we are also learning more about environmental substances — known as persistent organic pollutants — and the role they may play in causing diabetes.
Many countries have banned these chemicals. But they are still present all around you — and hard to remove once your body absorbs them.
The good news is that most diabetes can be prevented with cost-effective interventions.
The first step to prevention is a healthy lifestyle.
This means…
maintaining a healthy body weight,
eating healthy,
exercising regularly,
avoiding smoking and the harmful use of alcohol,
and of course, getting regular medical check-ups.
Early detection and management are the keys to reduce the debilitating complications of diabetes.
To ensure that diabetics have needed drugs and services, health financing measures must target not only early detection, but also follow-up care and medicines.
The most widely prescribed drugs to treat diabetes are metformin and insulin Both must be available at reasonable prices.
Most health facilities in the Region, however, are still not equipped to provide basic care and case management.
From the start, health workers at the primary-care level must be on the look-out for diabetics and people with risk factors. And patients must be taught the importance of taking medication daily as prescribed.
Efforts to address overweight and obesity must start earlier. Healthy eating and exercise habits established at a young age are critical to halt the rise in diabetes among adults.
For all these reasons, we celebrate World Health Day this year by working with Member States and partners to raise awareness for the prevention and management of diabetes.
Diabetes will NOT disappear anytime soon.
No single policy or intervention can halt its rise.
Nor can the health sector alone defeat this disease.
Our approach must encompass the whole-of-government and all-of-society.
For example, protecting children from marketing of unhealthy foods requires cooperation among many sectors to make policies work — from health and education to commerce and trade. The same is true for building healthier communities where people have space to exercise.
Partnerships with non-State actors, including nongovernmental organizations, civil society, philanthropic foundations, academic institutions and the private sector are also important to combat diabetes.
In fact, yesterday, we hosted a meeting of stakeholders. This marked the beginning of a new and innovative network for action on diabetes.
After much discussion and debate, today, in solidarity, we are pleased to present the draft Manila Declaration on Diabetes.
The declaration is our shared vision for a healthier world. It outlines principles and approaches that can be used across the Western Pacific Region.
We can overcome diabetes if we work together.
I encourage everyone here to join the growing movement of the International Diabetes Federation, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, World Diabetes Foundation and other partners.
"Get in the circle" and help stop this disease and the needless pain and suffering it causes. Together, we can prevent premature deaths and save lives.
Once again, thank you for joining us and helping to make this World Health Day a success.