On November 14th, 2017, a press-conference on diabetes prevalence in Russia and Saint-Petersburg was held in the Almazov Centre on the World Diabetes Day. Within the all-Russian awareness-raising campaign the photo exhibition “I have tested the blood sugar! And you?” was opened in the Centre. The campaign, which international symbol is a blue circle, was joined by well-known actors, sportsmen, public officers and doctors of the country and the region in order to draw attention to the disease, its risk factors and early prevention.
In Russia, the number of people with diabetes has increased 2 times – from 2,1 to 4,3 million – for the past 15 years. The disease is rarely revealed on the early stages, so complications that could be prevented usually occur.
According to the chief diabetologist of the Healthcare Committee of Saint-Petersburg Prof. Irina Karpova, there are 142 thousand patients with diabetes mellitus officially registered in Saint-Petersburg. She also said that thanks to the enthusiasm of the specialists an advanced diabetic care service was developed in the city: there are 16 diabetic foot units and 36 schools for patients functioning in Saint-Petersburg.
Director of the Institute of Endocrinology of the Almazov Centre Prof. Elena Grineva offered to discuss the possibility of organizing mobile medical teams for testing blood sugar similar to those which perform flu vaccinations.
The campaign “I have tested my blood sugar! What about you?” is taking place in 10 regions of Russia.
