This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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World Diabetes Day
14/11/2003
Children, who have produced pieces of art expressing how their lives have been touched by diabetes, have been awarded prizes.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm praised the award winners and runners-up at the 'Making a Mark' event, hosted on World Diabetes Day.
The Minister also highlighted work being done by the Executive and stressed that more needed to be done to tackle the condition.
Mr Chisholm said:
"Diabetes is becoming increasingly common, with Scotland having a higher incidence of Type 1 Diabetes than almost any other country in the world.
"The Executive has recognised this serious problem and is committed to improving services for people with diabetes. As a result, a number of important initiatives have been launched since the publication of the Scottish Diabetes Framework in April 2002.
"We are also putting a lot of emphasis on the organisation of services and supporting the development of diabetes Managed Clinical Networks in every NHS board area. By promoting and supporting joint working, staff will increasingly deliver care as a single diabetes team across organisational barriers, irrespective of where they are based.
"The Executive is committed to improving the quality and availability of patient information. Children and their parents need and deserve good quality information about the condition, its treatment and all the other issues which go with living with diabetes. To help with this need the Executive has funded the production of a video and DVD called "Childhood
Diabetes: The No Nonsense Guide" aimed at children with newly diagnosed diabetes and their families.
"The Scottish Diabetes Framework has proved to be a very useful stimulus. It has led to many improvements in care as well as helping to raise the profile of diabetes. However, there is more to do. It is also our intention is to review, revise and reissue the Scottish Diabetes Framework in 2004 and we will be announcing shortly how people with diabetes and their families can contribute to that process.
"It has been a great pleasure to see all entries to today's competition. All the entries are all of a very high standard and I don't envy the judges in having had to pick the winners."
Making a Mark was launched during Diabetes Week 2003 (in June) and was
open to children and young people (3-18 yrs) across Scotland. The competition asked children and young people to produce a piece of artwork, which expressed how diabetes had touched them, their families and/or friends.
Development Programme; and £1 million to support diabetic retinopathy testing.
November 14 was designated World Diabetes Day as it is the birthday of
Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which lead to the discovery of insulin in October 1921.