Did you know that World Diabetes Day is the world’s largest awareness campaign, reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in over 160 countries? It was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization and became an official United Nations Day in 2006.

The reason this day is vital, is because 537 million people are living with diabetes worldwide. It is a disease that affects so many, yet 3 in 4 people with diabetes live in low- and middle- income countries which can make it difficult to afford needed care and resources. This is alarming because if the disease is not treated properly or goes undiagnosed, other serious health problems could develop such as heart disease, vision loss, or kidney disease.

Diabetes affects the body in many ways. The physical conditions and hardships that come with diabetes are important to highlight, but this World Diabetes Day let’s put an emphasis on how this diagnosis can affect one’s mental health. It is important to remember that with the diagnosis of a disease, there can be mental strain and even anxiety that comes with it.

If you would like more information about the different types of diabetes, how to manage diabetes, or how to maintain good eating patterns with diabetes, please visit diabetes.org. For more statists on diabetes and its effects on those that have it, please visit worlddiabetesday.org.