Ministry of Health Launches World Diabetes Day Events

Dr. Abeer Al-Bahou, Director of the Health Promotion Department at the Ministry of Health, announced the launch of events to inaugurate the celebrations for World Diabetes Day 2026, coinciding with the approaching date of November 14 each year. The campaign is held under the theme “Early Intervention to Combat Diabetes,” with the aim of raising awareness about the importance of prevention, early detection, and proper management of the disease to reduce its complications.

Dr. Al-Bahou explained that diabetes is a chronic condition resulting from the pancreas’s inability to produce sufficient insulin or the body’s inability to use it effectively, leading to elevated blood sugar levels. Over time, this can cause serious damage to various body organs, particularly the nerves and blood vessels.

She noted that the disease is divided into three main types. The first is Type 1 diabetes, which results from insufficient insulin production and requires daily insulin administration. The second is Type 2 diabetes, characterized by the body’s ineffective use of insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels and potentially causing serious health complications if not properly managed.

She added that the third type is gestational diabetes, which appears during pregnancy due to elevated blood sugar levels that exceed normal ranges but do not reach the threshold for a diabetes diagnosis. This condition may increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as raise the likelihood of the mother and possibly her children developing Type 2 diabetes in the future.

Dr. Al-Bahou emphasized the importance of early intervention, health awareness, and regular screenings in detecting the disease early, reducing its complications, and enhancing the chances of effective disease management.