qatar to light up for world diabetes day
ASPIRE Dome and Aspire Tower to be illuminated as Part of Global Day of
Qatar Diabetes Association and Health Authorities work together to Battle Major Challenge
Doha, Qatar
ASPIRE Dome and Aspire Tower will spectacularly light up the skyline of Doha in blue on 14th November as the international community marks the first ever United Nations World Diabetes Day,
The two landmarks will join over 160 of the world’s most iconic buildings in turning the same luminous colour blue as the diabetes circle, the global symbol for the illness.
As well as the illumination ceremony, ASPIRE will host a walk around its Dome , as well as offering a range of diabetes tests and special sessions of ASPIRE Active fitness classes in a series of events co-organised with the Qatar Diabetes Association.
The light-up ceremony sees Qatar join a community of nations publicly marking World Diabetes Day. Sydney’s notorious Opera House was one of the first buildings to join the campaign by agreeing to be lit blue.
Since then, the campaign has been joined by a host of global landmarks, including the Sears Tower, Tokyo Tower, Niagara Falls, the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, the Aleppo Citadel in Syria, the Obelisk in Buenos Aires, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the building currently considered the world’s tallest: the Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Hamaq, Executive Director, Qatar Diabetes Association, said: “Diabetes is a major challenge facing Qatar today, threatening the long-term health and wellbeing of the population. We are proud to be part of this global day of recognition of the challenges that this disease poses.”
The UN-recognition of World Diabetes Day follows the passage of Resolution 61/225 in December 2006. It recognizes diabetes as a chronic, debilitating and costly disease that poses severe risks for families, countries and the entire world. The UN has thrown its support behind World Diabetes Day and encourages countries to act now to reverse the diabetes epidemic.
Today, 246 million people live with diabetes globally and if nothing is done, this figure will reach 380 million within 20 years. Qatar has among the highest incidence of diabetes in the region, with one in three Qatari adults suffering from either diabetes or glucose intolerance, a condition that dramatically predisposes them to develop diabetes in the next few years.
Dr. Thomas Flock, Director General, ASPIRE, said: “ASPIRE is proud to support awareness raising for this worthy cause. By participating in this event we hope to act as a beacon, raising attention of the illness among the people of Qatar and beyond and encouraging more people to develop a healthy and active lifestyle.”
To mark the importance of World Diabetes Day, individuals are encouraged to wear the diabetes pin, which incorporates the blue circle – the global symbol for diabetes. Further details of the campaign and how people can show their support can be found at www.worlddiabetesday.org
People who would like to participate in the walk can assemble at the ASPIRE roundabout (between ASPETAR and ASPIRE Dome), at 4pm on Wednesday, 14th November 2007.
