Source: UN News Centre

14 November 2007 - Over 200 of the world's most famous landmarks, including New York's Empire State Building and the Sydney Opera House, are lit up in blue today to mark the first United Nations World Diabetes Day which aims to raise awareness about this growing epidemic.
World Diabetes Day was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the UN World Health Organization (WHO) in response to concern over the escalating incidence of the disease, which occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.