Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Every year on 14 November, World Diabetes Day, established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), is held around the world.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most significant medical and social problems of modern society that require an urgent response. Today, more than 463 million people suffer from diabetes mellitus in the world, while every second adult is not diagnosed. In Uzbekistan, the number of patients with diabetes is 257,457, of which 3,263 are children and adolescents under the age of 18, according to a press release from Sanofi.

Each year, IDF defines a key theme for World Diabetes Day based on current agendas and challenges in the fight against the disease. In 2020, this day highlights the special role of the family in the lives of patients with diabetes. This year, IDF is launching an initiative to provide additional training opportunities for nurses who support people living with diabetes. It is the nurses who are often the primary health care providers with whom the patient interacts. Thus, the quality of the initial patient assessment, care and treatment is of vital importance.

Today, according to a 2020 World Health Organization report, nurses make up 59% of all health professionals. There are 27.9 million nurses worldwide, with a global nursing shortage of nearly 6 million, of which 89% are in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Nurses do an outstanding job every day. People who either live with diabetes or are at risk of developing the disease especially need their support. In addition, with the growing number of people with diabetes worldwide, the role of nurses is becoming increasingly important in managing the consequences of the disease.

“It is well known that the prevention of diabetes mellitus is not only a medical, but also a social problem, requiring increased awareness of the general population about a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, moderate physical activity and timely detection of the disease. Such global psychological and personal changes in a short time are impossible without family support. The achievements of today’s science in the fields of dietetics, hygiene, organization of medical care allow us to do a lot in “It is well known that the prevention of diabetes mellitus is not only a medical, but also a social problem, requiring increased awareness of the general population about a healthy lifestyle, nutrition, moderate physical activity and timely detection of the disease. Such global psychological and personal changes in a short time are impossible without family support. Achievements of today’s science in the fields of dietetics, hygiene, organization of medical care can do a lot in the prevention of diabetes. But no matter how perfect this knowledge is, it will not achieve its main goal - the prevention of diseases, until it is introduced into the consciousness of various segments of the population in an accessible form, in the form of simple recommendations coming from sources that inspire confidence,” said the chief children’s endocrinologist of Uzbekistan Nasiba Alimova.

“Diabetes is not a disease, but a way of life. The task of doctors and nurses is to teach how to cope with diabetes, and the task of educators and the public is to provide psychological support to patients. The more we talk about the disease, the easier it will be for patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus. Psychological support is especially important for families with a child diagnosed with diabetes, in order not only to overcome stress after diagnosis, but also to learn how to manage this disease. And in this process of learning - how to monitor blood glucose levels, how to correctly make insulin injections and counting bread units - nurses play a decisive role, who monitor the condition of patients, guide and help throughout the course of treatment,” says Shakhrisada Sultanova, Chairman of the Tashkent City Society of Children and Adolescents with Diabetes Mellitus "SofDil".

“We at Sanofi are proud that for almost 100 years our company has been developing and bringing to the market effective drugs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, conducting research and implementing educational programs for doctors and patients. Our main goal is to improve the quality of life for people with diabetes by providing access to innovative treatments. Sanofi takes an integrated approach to care that takes patients’ lifestyles into account to help them achieve better treatment outcomes and improve their quality of life. With proper care and adherence to treatment, diabetes does not limit patients’ ability to live fulfilling lives, play sports, reach careers, and build families. We support the theme chosen by IDF this year, as nurses have a huge list of tasks on their shoulders - creating motivation to change lifestyle, educating patients and their families on how to manage diabetes mellitus, adherence to medical prescriptions and performing procedures at home, social psychological support for patients and their relatives, and much more, ”comments Vitaly Bystryukov, Head of the General Medicine business unit of Sanofi Central Asia and Belarus.