You’ve been asked to wear Blue for Diabetes Awareness this month. That’s the call from the Diabetes advocate and Poet, Siyabonga Kwanele Zuma, who has been living with Diabetes.
Wear Blue for Diabetes Awareness this Month
The spotlight falls on the chronic condition with November being Diabetes Month in South Africa. This will culminate with the commemoration of World Diabetes Day on the 14th of November.
Zuma says it’s concerning that Diabetes is the number one cause of death of women in the country. At the same time, it’s the second leading cause of death among local men.
The organizers say, “We all have something blue in our wardrobes. But the impact of wearing blue to support people with diabetes is immense.”
He says the condition is not lethal and that there should NOT be so many deaths associated with it.
READ MORE: Concerns grow as diabetes cases surge, particularly among women
Turn South Africa Blue on 14 November
There’s now a call for the country to turn Blue on 14 November. The Awareness Campaign will also help to put the 5 symptoms of Diabetes in the spotlight.
When you wake up, grab something blue from your cupboard. If anyone asks you, you can say it’s because of diabetes. In this way, you can also share the 5 symptoms of diabetes.
Getting diagnosed early can save a life
The organizers of the Wear Blue for Diabetes Awareness campaign say one of the reasons why people die due to the condition is that it is diagnosed too late.
“Seeing people unaffected by diabetes visibly showing support makes a huge difference,” elaborated the organizers.
This means the person could already be presented with some severe long-term complications, including blindness, amputation, kidney failure and heart disease. An early diagnosis can therefore lead to a longer, healthier life with diabetes.
Local stories of lived experience
The two voices for the campaign are Bridget McNulty and Siyabonga Zuma. They both live with Type 1 diabetes. There are 9 people in the country – 1 in every province – who is a lived experience representative of the condition.
“Diabetes is a 24/7/365 chronic condition. It can feel very lonely – even when you’re part of a community like Sweet Life,” added the organizers.
These #WearBlueforDiabetes champions will share their stories on the 14th and also the 5 symptoms of the condition.
Wearing blue is easy, diabetes is not
They say people at work can wear blue, even those who go to school. You can also get your friends and family to get involved.
The #BlueBalloonChallenge meets the 5 symptoms
The Organizers said the #BlueBalloonChallenge is an initiative by Medtronic Global that encourages people without diabetes to go about their daily lives while keeping a blue balloon in the air at all times. This does not have to be a helium balloon.
They concluded, “It helps to make the invisible workload of diabetes more visible.”
At the same time, they’re combining the #BlueBalloonChallenge with the 5 symptoms of diabetes by printing blue balloons with the 5 symptoms.
READ MORE: South African who live with Diabetes
