Good morning! I would like to begin with an introduction to our organization. Diabetes Hong Kong is a non-profit making organization founded in 1996 by a group of healthcare professionals, people with diabetes, and advocates dedicated to diabetes education and management. Our mission is to support people with diabetes and their families or carers, to promote public awareness towards diabetes and to strive for optimal care and prevention of this condition.

A disease is important either because it is common or because it has significant impact on people’s health. I would say diabetes is very important because it fulfills both criteria.

So how common is diabetes exactly? International Diabetes Federation estimates that around 590 million, that is, 1 in 9 adults are living with diabetes worldwide in 2024, and by 2050 the number is predicted to rise to 850 million, that is, 1 in 8 adults. Locally, around 1 in 12 persons between 15 and 84 years old have diabetes according to the recent Population Health Survey conducted by the Department of Health. To me the estimation seems a bit conservative, and the prevalence should be at least around 1 in 10. Diabetes becomes more common when people age, and 1 in 5 people aged 65 or above in Hong Kong have diabetes.

What is diabetes notorious for? It is always difficult to catch the bad guy when he is invisible. Indeed, diabetes plays similar tricks on us. Most people affected by diabetes have no symptoms at all. 30-40 percent of people with diabetes have no idea they have this condition. In many cases diabetes may be discovered only when the blood sugar level becomes markedly elevated, or even worse, when the high blood sugar has persisted long enough to cause organ damage. Diabetes loves to attack both large and small blood vessels, especially in the eyes, kidneys, peripheral nerves, heart, brain, and legs. No wonder diabetes is the leading cause of multiple devastating conditions including blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and lower limb amputation. People with diabetes also tend to die earlier than the general population. Just imagine the huge impact on diabetes patients and their families, as well as on our society when these dreaded complications develop. Diabetes is seldom a maverick. It usually teams up with hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity, and smoking and they all work together to intensify the widespread damage to our body. Therefore, diabetes is never just a glucose problem. The solution to this systemic disease demands a holistic approach and concerted effort of the whole community.

Prevention is always better than cure. Healthy balanced diet and regular exercise remain the cornerstones of diabetes prevention. It is obviously easier said than done, but it is usually helpful to invite motivated family members and friends to engage in lifestyle modifications together, so that we can support each other to keep ourselves on track. Diabetes usually does not send us a reminder  that it is already there, therefore we should search for it proactively. Regular screening for diabetes by simple blood tests is recommended in at-risk individuals, including people aged 45 or above, those with cardiovascular risk factors like prediabetes, hypertension, high lipids, obesity and smoking, cardiovascular disease or family history of diabetes, as well as  women with history of diabetes during pregnancy. Whenever we identify at least one of those diabetes’ allies, we should automatically search for diabetes as well.

For those who have already received the diagnosis of diabetes, lifestyle modification remains important but additional treatments are almost invariably needed for optimal control. Sustained satisfactory control of diabetes can prevent various diabetic complications. Please rest assured that nowadays we’ve got effective and safe medications which not only control the blood sugar level, but also help obese patients lose weight and independently protect the cardiovascular system and kidneys. We should not forget that it is equally important to manage body weight, hypertension, high cholesterol level, and for smokers to quit smoking. It is also essential for people with diabetes to undergo regular, preferably annual, screening of diabetic complications, which would enable healthcare professionals to intervene early and prevent progression in case complications occur.

World Diabetes Day or WDD is marked every year on 14 November which was the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. WDD was created in 1991 by International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization and became an official United Nations Day in 2006. The campaign focus for this year is “Diabetes and the workplace”. Millions of people with diabetes face daily challenges managing their condition in the workplace, including stigma, discrimination and exclusion. This has a negative impact on their well-being. I believe that diabetes management is more than just tests and pills. People with diabetes, together with their families, friends, colleagues, healthcare professionals, government officials and policy makers, should all work together so that everyone with diabetes has the chance to live well. By sharing a song by Eason Chan “Today”, I sincerely hope that the whole community will join to support people with diabetes. Wish you all a joyful Sunday!