World Diabetes Day (WDD) was created in 1991 by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?

Millions of people with diabetes around the world do not have access to diabetes care. People with diabetes require ongoing care and support to manage their condition and avoid complications. According to the current diabetes scenario, it is not wise to wait for longer time to tackle diabetes.

The theme signifies: We cannot wait any longer for:

• Medicine, technologies, support and care to be made available to all people with diabetes that require them.

• Governments to increase investment in diabetes care and prevention.

The theme also urges that the centenary of the discovery of insulin presents a unique opportunity to bring about meaningful change for the more than 460 million people living with diabetes and the millions more at risk.

Jothydev's Diabetes Research Centre has been organizing WDD events for more than two decades (since 2000) at various parts of Kerala. This year we conducted more than 44 programs, including free diabetes day camps, patient education webinars, live interactive sessions via social media, hybrid CME, Facebook live etc along with television, radio programs. Glimpses of our activities can be viewed at https://www.jothydev.net/wdd/wdd2021.html