Photos: Abu Dhabi landmarks light up in blue to mark World Diabetes Day

Abu Dhabi’s buildings and landmarks lit up on Sunday on the eve of World Diabetes Day. In line with the trend of many landmark buildings across the world being lit blue to mark the World Diabetes Day, Abu Dhabi Media Office posted photographs on Twitter of the iconic landmarks in the UAE in bright blue colour.

The initiative included 13 landmarks around the city being lit in blue; the colour of the circle that represents the universal symbol for diabetes. These include Mubadala Tower, Abu Dhabi Municipality, Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Emirates Palace, Hazza Stadium, Mohammed Bin Zayed University, W Hotel and Etihad Arena on Yas Island; as well as numerous Mubadala Health facilities such as Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Danat Al Emarat Hospital and Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi.

World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on November 14 to mark the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who discovered the insulin hormone along with Charles Herbert Best in 1922.

World Diabetes Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue and what needs to be done, collectively and individually, for better prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition.

According to reports, diabetes affects 463 million people globally, and is responsible for 1.5 million deaths every year.

People with Type-2 diabetes that needs to be treated with insulin sensitisers making up about 90 per cent of the cases.

The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is “Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?”, putting across the timely message for diabetes care. The theme encourages people to be aware of the diabetes mellitus set of metabolic disorders so that they can benefit from the education on disease and treatment, with the goal of keeping glucose levels within acceptable bounds.

This year’s World Diabetes Day is taking place at the end of a year which has been intensive in terms of global advocacy for diabetes. WHO and partners have used the opportunity of the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin to highlight the huge gap between the people who need access to insulin to control their diabetes, as well as essential technologies such as blood glucose meters and test strips, and those who actually have access.

Key facts about diabetes