UN Secretary General issues statement in support of World Diabetes Day

The Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon has issued a statement on the occasion of World diabetes Day.

In his statement the Secretary General thanks the International Diabetes Federation and the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh for co-sponsoring the World Diabetes Day panel discussion on diabetes (held November 14 at the UN). He acknowledges that diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can strike children at any age and that diabetes is often diagnosed late or misdiagnosed.

“We must do more to inform children and adults about the warning signs of the disease, particularly in the developing world. We must also ensure access to proper medical care. Many children in the developing world die from diabetes because they do not have insulin.”

Read the full statement here: http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp