KUWAIT CITY, Nov 7: The Ministry of Health, represented by the Health Promotion Department, launched an awareness campaign for diabetes today, Thursday, in celebration of World Diabetes Day, which falls on November 14th. The campaign is held under the slogan "Break Barriers and Close Gaps" to enhance the health of people living with diabetes.

Dr. Abeer Al-Bahouh, Director of the Health Promotion Department, told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that this year's World Diabetes Day theme focuses on "Diabetes and Quality of Life," which will be the main focus until 2026. The aim is to ensure appropriate care and health support for people with diabetes.

Al-Bahouh added that this year's slogan emphasizes ways to reduce the incidence of diabetes and ensure that those affected receive comprehensive treatment and care. She stressed that the awareness campaign provides an opportunity to educate the public about diabetes as a global health issue, as well as the collective and individual actions necessary for diagnosis and prevention.

She mentioned that the rising number of diabetes cases is due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, and that failure to follow proper health measures and treatments could lead to complications such as kidney failure, heart attacks, and strokes.

Al-Bahouh pointed out that the Health Promotion Department is responsible for raising awareness and spreading knowledge about diabetes and its prevention methods, particularly as the number of affected individuals continues to rise, with one in every ten people worldwide being affected by the disease.

She also noted that the mortality rate due to diabetes increased by 3% between 2000 and 2019, and that diabetes-related kidney disease caused approximately two million deaths worldwide in 2019.

The key preventive measures for type 2 diabetes, according to Al-Bahouh, include following a healthy diet, maintaining a normal weight, engaging in regular physical activity, and avoiding tobacco use.