The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 275 No 7375 p598
12 November 2005

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Tackling diabetes epidemic involves everyone

All sections of society need to engage with the global type 2 diabetes epidemic if a catastrophe is to be prevented, David Matthews, chairman of the Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, said at an Oxford Health Alliance forum in London this week.

Professor Matthews argued that society as a whole — including the Government, the media and non-governmental organisations — need to become involved. Everyone needs to take on collective responsibility for the problem to create an environment in which people are able to choose to look after their health, rather than failing to do so because they either cannot afford to or do not know how to, he said.

The forum was held to mark World Diabetes Day, which this year takes place on 14 November. This year the campaign will use the slogan “Put feet first — prevent amputations” to draw attention to diabetic foot complications and the simple and low cost ways to avoid leg amputations.