World Diabetes Day – 10 days later

Thank you and keep the information coming

Thank you for all the work you put in to making World Diabetes Day 2008 such a global success. Whatever you did on the day, I hope things went well. The pictures on the World Diabetes Day website tell the story of a remarkable shared experience. Here in Brussels we all dressed in blue, participated in local events during the day and in the evening lit our office building in blue.

Please keep sending your pictures and reports to wdd@idf.org. We want to collect as comprehensive a record as possible of World Diabetes Day 2008. Moreover, it is inspiring to learn more about what you did on the day – thank you.

With the limited resources available to the World Diabetes Day team, it is not easy for us to monitor the impact in the media worldwide. Please let us know if World Diabetes Day was featured on a radio station, TV station or in a newspaper in your area. If you can tell us where exactly, even better. If you have collected the articles in your local newspaper or magazine that feature World Diabetes Day or recorded your local TV or radio program, please e-mail a copy to media@idf.org or send a copy to:

Kerrita McClaughlyn
International Diabetes Federation
Avenue Emile de Mot 19
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium

The results so far

Early indications suggest a success for the 2008 campaign. We will share the results of World Diabetes Day 2008 through the website once we have collected all the information. Here is what we know so far:

• 1085 and counting - the number of buildings and monuments that brought diabetes to light.
• 115 and counting - the number of countries that have recorded WDD events.
• 1450 and counting - the number of pictures submitted to the IDF site.
• 100,000 - the number of times the virtual candle has been lit.
• 4,000,000 - the number of views of World Diabetes Day banners.
• 4,750 - sites generated visitors to www.worlddiabetesday.org.
• Uncountable – the debt of gratitude owed to the millions who took part in the campaign.

Have your say, share your ideas

Have you got 10 minutes to spare? Please take our World Diabetes Day 2008 survey now and let us know how we can do more to make a difference.

Each year we aim to improve what we do and serve you better. Do you have an idea for what World Diabetes Day should do next? What changes do you want to see? Do you feel that things can be better? Do you feel let down in some way? Whatever you want to say, please share it with us.

We take your comments seriously. Your feedback informs what we do.

A quick reminder for the next five years

The theme for World diabetes Day for 2009-2013 is diabetes prevention and education. This broad theme will allow all diabetes stakeholders to take part.

We hope to meet many of you in person at the International Diabetes Federation's World Diabetes Congress in Montreal next October. We look forward to working with you on the campaign next year.