DIABETES, a chronic disease marked by elevated blood glucose levels, claims as many lives as HIV/AIDS, with more than 3.8 million deaths from diabetes-related cases each year. Every 10 seconds, a person dies of diabetes. In the same two seconds, two people develop the disease. It afflicts people of all ages—from children, the elderly, even pregnant women.

These are only some of the reasons why a landmark resolution was signed by the United Nations General Assembly which calls on all UN member-states to observe November 14 as World Diabetes Day.

A UN Resolution on diabetes will focus the attention of the world on the need for urgent action that goes beyond the scope of government departments responsible for health care. It will raise awareness among policy decision-makers of the global public health challenge at their door.

In line with this, the Philippine Diabetes Association (PDA), the Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation and the Diabetes Center Philippines have joined forces to launch the ”Unite for Diabetes” worldwide campaign.  The campaign aims to raise awareness on diabetes, its complications and how we can prevent it. “Diabetes is a global problem with devastating human, social and economic consequences. To do nothing is no longer an option,” said PDA president Dr. Tommy Ty Willing during his lecture on the launch of the campaign.  “Today more than 200 million people worldwide are living with diabetes. This number is increasing by 6 million people every year,” continued Dr. Ty Willing.  Type 2 diabetes is responsible for 90 percent to 95 percent of diabetes cases and is increasing at alarming rates globally as a result of increased urbanization, high rates of obesity, sedentary lifestyles and stress.

The PDA and pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) also launched “Designs on Diabetes,” a national art competition for Filipino doctors treating type 2 diabetes patients. National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon Abueva was present during the launch to support the competition.

For more information on “Designs on Diabetes,” visit www.diabetesphil.org.

Trading Up

WHEN the Italian Andrea Mastellone assumed the post of general manager of Traders Hotel Manila, he steered the once-staid establishment by the famed Manila Bay into a highly appealing place for leisure and business travelers.

Reeling: From Theater to Film and Back Again

Orlando Nadres shall be not turning in his grave: the film version of his tour de force confession succeeds where the scenes articulated come from his play and fails miserably where the film director took the liberty of fleshing out those ellipses in between the scenes of the original one-act play.

United Against Diabetes

DIABETES, a chronic disease marked by elevated blood glucose levels, claims as many lives as HIV/AIDS, with more than 3.8 million deaths from diabetes-related cases each year. Every 10 seconds, a person dies of diabetes. In the same two seconds, two people develop the disease. It afflicts people of all ages—from children, the elderly, even pregnant women.

Mystery movie teaser has gamers seeking alternate reality

WE’RE watching a movie trailer: A party full of young, sexy Manhattanites is suddenly disrupted by a massive explosion. The revelers run into the street as someone yells: “I saw it, it’s alive, it’s huge”—and the disembodied head of the Statue of Liberty comes flying down the street.