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Health
Diabetes
John Bowis chairs
the European Parliament's Diabetes Working Group which works with
the International Diabetes Federation to raise awareness of diabetes
amongst European decision-makers and to press for action. In 2006 John tabled a successful Written Declaration (1/2006) on Diabetes calling for a Council Recommendation.
John
has supported World Diabetes Day (14th November) in the European
Parliament. In 2002 he hosted an exhibition in Strasbourg with diabetes
susceptibility testing. In 2003 he hosted an EU
diabetes awareness week in Brussels - including the possibility
for MEPs and staff to have their blood glucose level, blood pressure
and cholesterol checked. In total, more than 1,200 tests were done. In 2004 John hosted testing again in Strasbourg and presented the Commission with a "Call For Action".
Background
information about diabetes
Diabetes is
an illness which occurs as a result of problems with the production
and supply of insulin in the body. In order for our muscles and
other tissues to absorb glucose from our blood, we need a hormone
called insulin. Insulin is made in the pancreas. When a person has
diabetes, either their pancreas does not produce the insulin they
need, or their body cannot use its own insulin effectively. As a
result, people with diabetes cannot use enough of the glucose in
the food they eat. This leads to the amount of glucose in the blood
increasing. This high level of glucose or "high blood sugar"
can lead to medical complications.
The International
Diabetes Federation estimates that at least 194 million people in
the world have diabetes. That is more than the populations of Argentina,
Australia, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Spain all put together.
According to
WHO figures, by 2025 there will be more people with diabetes in
the world than the entire population of the United States.
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