Celebrate Blue Diwali 2020 This Year: Say Public Health Experts

First Time in 20 years World Diabetes Day & Diwali are falling on the same day and Diabetes Blue Fortnight (DBF) 2020 Campaign appeals the masses to make it historic & purposeful

The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought a double blow to an estimated 77 million people with diabetes in India, which makes it the second most affected in the world. Restrictions during the pandemic have reduced physical activities, thus contributing to the increase in the incidence of diabetes. Coincidently, for the first time in 20 years World Diabetes Day & Diwali are falling on the same day — 14^th Nov’ 2020. Considering the need to inculcate awareness of the increasing rate of diabetes in India during COVID-19, HEAL Foundation is all set to launch Diabetes Blue Fortnight (DBF) from 1^st – 14^th Nov’ 2020 as a part of its COVID Fighters Public Health Safety Movement, which has just completed 200 days of its consistent furthering highly impactful health awareness movement.

Speaking on the essence, the impact and the launch of the campaign Diabetes Blue Fortnight (DBF)-2020, Dr Swadeep Srivastava, Founder, HEAL Foundation, said, “As COVID-19 has stirred up the incidence of diabetes in India, and coincidently, World Diabetes Day — 2020 — Diwali are falling on 14^th November, hence we appeal the masses via our Diabetes Blue Fortnight (DBF) 2020 campaign to celebrate Blue Diwali 2020 and make it purposeful and historic. Also, Public Health Experts & Diabetes Professionals are coming together to celebrate Blue Diwali 2020 — remarkable amity for a good cause.”

“As the first time in 20 years, World Diabetes Day & Diwali are falling on the same day, hence, to spread the awareness, we appeal the people to buy Blue colour light; light their houses in blue as part of Blue Diwali celebration because blue colour symbolises unity in the fight against diabetes, something akin to a blue sky uniting the world. Toward managing diabetes, awareness is true empowerment and hence, we would keep up the fight against diabetes by continuing our efforts in making India more aware and healthier. We appeal everyone to join this DBF campaign and help us convert this awareness into action. The DBF 2020 campaign is a part of COVID Fighters Public Health Safety Movement,” added Mr Srivastava.

Spread over a fortnight (1^st – 14^th Nov’), Diabetes Blue Fortnight (DBF) 2020 is a step forward to inculcate awareness regarding the silent killer diabetes and to build a mindset for the revolution for diabetes awareness to eradicate the disease by roots from the entire nation. With a vision to adapt a holistic approach to lifestyle management and Diabetes Control and to inculcate awareness of the disease, HEAL Foundation has appealed the people to celebrate Blue Diwali 2020 by calling to take the following actions into account:

·         Buy Blue Colour Light — this Diwali

·         Light your house in Blue — this Diwali

·         Click Blue Lighting pictures and share with the digital wall against Diabetes — this Diwali

Diabetes Blue Fortnight (DBF) 2020 is an amalgamation of sensitization activities spread across a fortnight to build-up the momentum for the masses to become aware of adopting preventive measures and to manage the increasing silent killer. As a part of the DBF 2020 campaign, India CoviDiabetes eSummit is being organised on 5^th Nov’ 2020 through 10^th Episode of HEAL-Thy Samvaad to discuss the in-things of diabetes such as — COVID-19 and its role in aggravating diabetes onslaught, and innovation in diabetes management. The eSummit will bring together a panel of eminent diabetes experts and public health experts who will discuss the issue at length to spread information amongst the masses about diabetes and its management during COVID times.

Recently, HEAL Foundation has completed 200 days of its ‘COVID Fighters Public Health Safety Movement’ and released a comprehensive report that sums up the entire activities conducted and the behaviour change it has brought in the society. The movement comprised of various activities such as — a series of Webinars, a series of Dialogues (HEAL-Thy Samvaad), e-Newsletters, Surveys and Social Media campaigns to inculcate awareness amongst the masses about COVID-19 pandemic, and the varied health disorders and other subliminal repercussions on society and economy in India. The association and the strategic implementation partnership with HEAL Health Connect Solutions has been quite prolific.

“Taking the stock of the enormity of COVID-19 outbreak and its undeterred upsurge, HEAL Foundation started COVID Fighters Public Health Safety Movement in association with ICCIDD & Public Health Issues & Policy Matters (PHIPM) to inculcate awareness and a sense of responsibility in the masses to prepare them to fight against COVID-19. Recently, it has completed 200 days of its ‘COVID Fighters Public Health Safety Movement’ and released a comprehensive report. Indeed, 200 days of this furthering movement has been splendid and instrumental in creating awareness amongst the masses, which is destined towards behaviour change. The 200 days of the inclusive movement has brought national & international public health experts together to discuss varied emanating health issues at length, thereby increasing health awareness amongst the masses. This furthering movement has been a grand success, leaving ripple effects,” said, Dr Chandrakant S Pandav Former HoD, Dept. of Community Medicine, AIIMS, New Delhi, President, ICCIDD.  

During the last six months of the COVID-19 scourge across the globe, it has come out that people with diabetes face much higher risks of severe illness or death if they contract COVID-19. In July, U.S. health officials found that nearly 40% of people who have died of COVID-19 had diabetes. ^[1]