Communication Strategies

The worlds diabetes day is celebrated on November 14 of every year and is a campaign led by members of International Diabetes Federation. The federation was created in 1991 by World Health Organization (WHO) in response to a rise in diabetes globally. In 2007, the World Diabetes Day became an official celebration in United Nations (Umesh, 12).

The campaign for the past period has addressed the growing need for diabetes prevention measures and education. Diabetes is one of the major diseases that have seen several people lose their lives. People in different regions consider this diseases as a major threat until several lives are lost. Many individuals fail to acknowledge the threat posed by diabetes to individuals, families and the entire community.

Communication objectives
The main reason for launching the campaign is to sensitize everyone to understand diabetes and enlighten individuals on the best measures of control. Every person is supposed to take the appropriate measures to ensure that they avail themselves for the campaign during this particular day. It is important for every person to acknowledge the importance of the meeting since it is the only way to teach people about the consequences of the disease.

Diabetes has claimed lives of many individuals due to lack of knowledge and perhaps attending such campaigns is instrumental. Various clinical officers are usually available during this particular day to provide clarification and offer medical services. Any person who fails to attend such crucial campaigns is entitled to provide a clear communication about his or her absence. The government and private sector are very much willing and concerned to enlighten individuals about the preventive measures to this killer disease.

The campaign slogan is empowerment through education for those people with diabetes and for governments it is to implement effective strategies that aim at preventing the disease. In the case of health care professionals, the slogan is to improve knowledge so as to put recommendations into practice. The campaign slogan for the general public is a call to understand the negative impact of diabetes and know how to avoid diabetes. The campaign is a measure on the effects of diabetes in both young and old generation and its implications in future generation.

World Diabetes Day campaign aims at conveying the message that access to proper medication is a fundamental basic right for every child. Today, Friday April 10, International Diabetes Federation is pleased to bring together key opinion leaders with the objective of pushing for appropriate measures that aims at securing care for many children with diabetes. Most developing countries have the challenge of providing adequate measures to children and adults with diabetes. At the end of the campaign, I would like to make the lives of many desperate individuals living with diabetes more comfortable.

Target audience
The campaign aims at reaching mothers and children below age ten who are living below poverty line in developing nations. Experts in matters of health from different organizations have been invited to deliver the message on how to control diabetes. International Diabetes Federation estimates that about 78,000 children from developing nations are living with diabetes. This is a threat to the future of children who are in desperate need of medication and information about diabetes. It is uncertain that both the young and elderly mothers are faced with a problem that can be prevented.

Key message to the target audience
Ignorance and lack of information are two main factors that have led to a rise in diabetes. The patients need insulin to safe their lives and they also need test trips, monitoring equipment and education to manage their diabetes. The most important part of this campaign is to coordinate different health unions that will ensure there is worldwide sensitization about the effects of diabetes.

A professional group of stakeholders come together this great day to discus the way forward on the interim humanitarian response that aims at saving lives and laying down a framework for sustainable solutions. Among the most prominent invitees are officials from the ministry of Health, leaders from pharmaceutical industry, and experts in supply chain management, official World Diabetes Day partners and philanthropic founders.

Professional societies that provide education and paediatrics in education are also invited to give their opinion in relation to this health problem.  Every individual is invited to contribute in any aspect of health matters that helps to curb diabetes (Umesh, 26). Children and people living with diabetes in the society can be helped by individuals within the surrounding and that person is you. Help every community member by providing the necessary information that is adequate to fight diabetes.

Communication mix
External communications mix such as press, public relations media, advertising, branding and print are among the best method considered throughout this campaign. The  use of press will include press release on the importance of diabetes education and prevention measures. Electronic gargets such as radio and television are also considered as favorites. In the event certain individuals may not have time to attend meetings, the government is concerned to produce a number of brochures that provide important information about education and prevention measures on diabetes. This step ensures that every individual is reached despite distance, commitments or geographical location. Below is a sample of information in brochures about the importance of diabetes education and prevention measures.

The importance of diabetes education
Diabetes is a very difficult disease to deal with because it is very hard to detect a patient with such condition. Diabetes imposes life-long complications to people with such condition and their families. Management of diabetes requires individual commitment and this is the reason that has led to increased cases of diabetes. A person living with diabetes may live for a period of five years without noticing any change until a time when the condition becomes worse.

Diabetes education aims at enlightening individuals to monitor their blood glucose, adjust their eating habits, exercise regularly and take proper medication. Another aspect of diabetes education during the campaign is to make people with diabetes make necessary psychological adjustments (Umesh, 53). It is important for individuals with diabetes to receive high quality diabetes education that is centered to their needs.
Education tailored towards the needs of people with diabetes is delivered by skilled health professionals. It is the fundamental right of every individual to access diabetes education for all people with such killer disease. The World Diabetes Day campaign aims at providing basic education to individuals with diabetes and the entire public. The education is very necessary and parents are supposed to ensure their children are the chief campaigners in this historical event.

The need for prevention of diabetes
Prevention is better than cure and every individual is entitled to participate fully in measures that help to prevent rise of diabetes. However, type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented because insulin producing cells are completely destroyed. In many cases, type 2 diabetes can be prevented through application of various measures. The campaign is a very important tool that will ensure there are proper measures of maintaining healthy weight and encouraging patients to take regular exercises. World Diabetes Day campaign is essential because it will create awareness of risk factors associated with diabetes and encourage individuals to take the best practices that helps to prevent diabetes.

The United Nations has invited all health international organizations, member states, and relevant organizations of United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and the civil society to observe World Diabetes Day in a proper manner so as to raise public awareness about the related complications related to diabetes. Public relations, media and marketing strategies will help the public to communicate important information about prevention, care and treatment of diabetes (Umesh, 69).  The mass media is one of the most common methods that will help the public to receive important information about diabetes.

Internal communication mix such as conference calls is another measure of passing information to people with diabetes. This method aims at reaching the entire public and it is one of the most effective methods of communication. The government therefore is calling on all citizens to attend a conference meeting during this particular day. Citizens will come face-to-face with health officials to get clarification on particular issues that have been problem. People will get tested for free so as to establish the number of people living with diabetes.