The State of Diabetes in the Philippines Know the facts, step up and act

Step Up for World Diabetes Day!

Amidst the pandemic, there is another disease that has gone under the radar and is silently affecting millions of people—Diabetes. Described as a chronic, non-communicable disease, diabetes is a major public health problem globally and persons afflicted with it are also vulnerable to a host of other diseases such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and COVID. 

“Last year, there were 463 million adults living with diabetes globally. That’s 1 out of 11 people who have the condition. There are about 3.7 million diabetic Filipinos, and this number is expected to double in the next 5 years. Only 34% are diagnosed, 27% are treated, and only 11% are on insulin. Among those treated, less than 50% are able to manage or control their disease. Globally, 1 life is lost every 7 seconds because of diabetes and its complications. As partners for building a healthier Philippines, we have the chance to step up in solidarity for our friends and family with diabetes. Even a simple gesture of raising awareness, getting the word out to help people better understand the disease and the risk factors behind it can go a long way in the prevention and management of diabetes. Another way to describe diabetes is a lifestyle disease. If we actively promote an active and well-balanced lifestyle for our families, where we get sufficient physical activity and proper nutrition, this will play a major role in reducing the prevalence of chronic disease in the coming years. If we actively promote an active and well-balanced lifestyle for our families, where we get sufficient physical activity and proper nutrition, this will play a major role in reducing the prevalence of chronic disease in the coming years.” ~Amal Makhloufi Benchouk, Sanofi Philippines Country Lead

World Diabetes Day (WDD) was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. It is marked every year on 14 November, the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, who co-discovered insulin along with Charles Best in 1922. WDD is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight.

HealthierPH Session: Step Up for World Diabetes Day!

More alarmingly, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reports that a further 232 million people remain undiagnosed, with the majority of them believed to have type 2 diabetes. In the Philippines alone diabetes is one of the leading causes of death and places a heavy burden for many families who are living with the disease. 

Stepping up for World Diabetes Day

Among other factors such as diet and lifestyle, Makhloufi stresses that there is a distinct lack of awareness and understanding of diabetes which has led to its widespread prevalence in recent years. To address this, Sanofi Philippines hosted Healthier/PH sessions: Step Up For World Diabetes Day, a virtual media event that featured a multi-disciplinary panel to tackle the issue of diabetes and educate the public on managing the disease.

How to Join:

1. To join, you may register at Takbo.ph, where you can select your preferred distance of 15k, 30k, 50k, or 100k. Registration lasts until November 30 only.
2. We recommend you use Strava, Nike, or Garmin to record and keep track of your time. If you wish to use a treadmill, you may do so provided that your time and distance will be indicated.
3. Should you choose to run outdoors, always remember to practice social distancing and make use of the proper protective equipment.

For Tiktok Virtual Run Challenge

1. Register on #StepUp4WDD Virtual Run via https://app.takbo.ph/all-races/step-up-virtual-run-2020 
2. Post a video while running on TikTok and tag 5 of your friends to join.
3. Use this caption upon posting: I pledge to #StepUp4WDD in the fight against diabetes. I challenge @name1 @name2 @name3 @name4 @name5 to join.
4. Use the following hashtags upon posting: #WorldDiabetesDay #SanofiPH #PanatangSanofi #DiabetesYourType

Other speakers during the online panel include fitness expert, Jinoe Gavan of Takbo.ph, who shared simple at-home workout tips to keep active during the quarantine. Social enterprise Gising Gising, represented by Bianca Dualan, RND, was also present during the talk and educated the audience on the proper nutrition and diet for regulating sugar levels, which is essential in managing diabetes.

• Lifestyle and Chronic Diseases

And in its thrust to raise further awareness on the impact of the disease and promote healthier lifestyles, Sanofi Philippines launched the Step Up For World Diabetes Day Virtual Run 2020. This virtual running event was launched on November 14 and runs through December 15, and was initiated in partnership with Takbo.ph.

For more information on how you can join the Step Up For Diabetes Virtual Run 2020, log on to Takbo.Ph. Login to www.sanofi.ph to learn more about Sanofi Philippines.

About Sanofi Philippines
Sanofi is your health journey partner. We are dedicated to being there through life’s ups and downs—for every challenge, big or small, lifelong or temporary. We transform scientific innovations into healthcare solutions to prevent and manage a broad range of medical conditions. We prevent illness with vaccines and provide treatments to fight pain and ease suffering. We also stand by the few who suffer from rare diseases and the millions with long-term chronic conditions. Login to www.sanofi.ph to learn more about Sanofi Philippines.