It is celebrated annually on this date to mark the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, a Canadian scientist who co-discovered insulin with American-Canadian scientist Charles Best in 1922.

#WorldDiabetesDay began in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization. It was proclaimed as an official United Nations Day in 2006.

This year’s theme is The Nurses and Diabetes. It aims to raise awareness about the important role nurses play in the lives of persons with diabetes, including prevention and management of the disease.

Unfortunately, most of us know people with diabetes and the stress that it puts on our loved one’s health and on our health care system.

Fortunately, with preventative education, including exercise and controlling diet, we can reduce and eliminate a large number of Type 2 diabetes.

I encourage all of my constituents to educate themselves on this important issue and to thank a nurse they know for their role in diabetes management and prevention.