The organization has also launched its first-ever global guidelines for managing diabetes before, during and after pregnancy.
“These guidelines are based on the realities of women’s lives and health needs, and provide clear, evidence-based strategies to deliver high-quality care to every woman, everywhere,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO).WHO).
The guideline aims to support the 21 million pregnancies affected by diabetes each year, and provides recommendations that recognize how diabetes-related risks evolve throughout life.
Why it matters
Diabetes now affects more than 800 million people worldwide — and about half are undiagnosed, according to the new WHO report.
It is a leading cause of heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputations. Its impact is increasing most rapidly in low- and middle-income countries, where access to care and essential medicines is often limited.
This year’s World Diabetes Day message emphasizes the importance of improving diabetes care across the lifespan, starting before pregnancy and continuing into early childhood and adulthood.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when the body cannot regulate blood glucose properly.
- Type 2 diabetes accounts for 95 percent of cases and is linked to obesity, insufficient physical activity and genetics, according to the WHO.
- The causes of type 1 diabetes remain unknown and those affected require lifelong insulin treatment.
- The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing worldwide for decades, increasing pressure on healthcare systems.
Diabetes during pregnancy may already be present or may be discovered for the first time during pregnancy.
Women who develop diabetes during pregnancy are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes after giving birth.
The condition increases the risk of life-threatening complications, including preeclampsia and other hypertensive conditions.
Babies are at greater risk of stillbirth, seizures and birth defects. Children born after diabetes-complicated pregnancies have a greater risk of developing obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes later in life.
What the WHO recommends
The provides tools to improve prevention and care worldwide.
The recently launched pregnancy guidelines include 27 recommendations, including:
- Eat a diet low in added sugars, with carbohydrates from whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes
- At least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, including resistance training
- Routine ultrasound scans before and after 24 weeks
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