A study conducted by Peter et al (2005) indicated that Type 1 diabetes “is common in children of African ancestry in The Bahamas” (p. 250) and suggested that the  incidence and prevalence rates of Type-1 diabetes in The Bahamas were 10.1/100,000 with patients age 0 -14 years and 31/100,000 with patients age 0 - 24 years respectively. Type 2 diabetes is equally common among our population. It is suggested that about 90% of the Bahamian population that has been diagnosed with diabetes has been confirmed with Type 2 diabetes.

This disease causes many complications that seriously affect the lives of those that have it and is responsible for a devastating percentage of all deaths in the country and about 12% of the population in The Bahamas is affected from it. It is the leading cause of many complications, inclusive of blindness, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and limb loss costing increased financial expenditure to not only care for the disease itself but also related complications. The statistics, though staggering in nature demonstrates the need for early intervention and effective and efficient collaborative efforts between patients and healthcare providers to “beat diabetes”.

The biggest challenge today in health promotion and prevention is to bring science, practice, and policy together to promote health and healthy environments. To this end, the World Health Organization (WHO) is advocating for collective partnerships to beat diabetes. They recognize that:

1. The diabetes epidemic is rapidly increasing in many countries, with the documented increase most dramatic in low and middle income countries.

2. A large proportion of diabetes cases are preventable. Simple lifestyle measures have been shown to be effective in preventing or delaying the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Maintaining normal body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of diabetes.

3. Diabetes is treatable. Diabetes can be controlled and managed to prevent complications. Increasing access to diagnosis, self-management education and affordable treatment are vital components of the response.

4. Efforts to prevent and treat diabetes will be important to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goal 3 target of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by one-third by 2030. Many sectors of society have a role to play, including governments, employers, educators, manufacturers, civil society, private sector, the media and individuals themselves.

Based upon the above, the World Health Organization has three overall goals for World Health Day 2016.

Firstly, to scale up prevention by increasing awareness about the rise in diabetes, and its staggering burden and consequences, in particular in low-and middle-income countries.

Secondly, strengthen care by triggering a set of specific, effective and affordable actions to tackle diabetes. These will include steps to prevent diabetes and diagnose, treat and care for people with diabetes. Thirdly, enhance surveillance by launching the first global report on diabetes, which will describe the burden and consequences of diabetes and advocate for stronger health systems to ensure improved surveillance, enhanced prevention, and more effective management of diabetes.

There is a popular cliché that says ‘if you feed a hungry man a fish today, you feed him only for today. However, if you teach him how to fish you will feed him for a lifetime’. As our country moves towards a paradigm shift in healthcare management, the watch words are ‘preventative health’ and calls for all stakeholders – patients, healthcare providers, support systems and policy makers to partner together to develop sustained programs and policies that encourage self-management, implement and support evidence based clinical management and promote best clinical outcomes. It is only through such collective efforts and partnerships that we can “Beat Diabetes” and harmoniously achieve desired outcomes.