City landmarks turn blue for World Diabetes Day

Two of Norwich’s best-known heritage buildings, the Norman Castle and City Hall, will be lit blue alongside hundreds of other monuments around the globe to help mark World Diabetes Day this weekend.

Included among the worldwide campaign are many of the world's most iconic buildings and sites. The global landmarks will light up in blue for diabetes and Norwich Castle and City Hall are the only buildings in the region to bathe in blue as part of World Diabetes Day on Saturday, November 14.

Norwich North MP Chloe Smith is visiting an information stand in the Castle Gardens at 5pm on Saturday. Norfolk has a relatively high incidence of type 1 diabetes and the number of Norfolk children being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes has doubled over the past 15 years. There are about 30,000 people with diabetes in Norfolk and a further 2,500 are diagnosed each year locally.

The Empire State Building in New York was the first building to join the World Diabetes Day campaign and agree to light up in blue. Since then the campaign has been joined by some of the world's most famous landmarks, including the London Eye, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Tokyo Tower, Niagara Falls, the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the Aleppo Citadel in Syria, the Sears Tower in Chicago, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, and the building currently considered the world's tallest: the Taipei 101 Tower in Taiwan.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital consultant diabetologist Professor Mike Sampson said: “We think it’s fantastic that City Hall have agreed to do this in recognition of the efforts made by people with diabetes to look after their condition, and to recognise the the increasing number of people with diabetes in Norwich and across Norfolk.”

Today, 246 million people live with diabetes globally. If nothing is done, this figure will reach 380 million within 20 years. The World Diabetes Day Resolution urges governments to implement national policies for the prevention, care and treatment of diabetes in line with the sustainable development of their healthcare systems.

Further details of the campaign and how people can show their support can be found at www.worlddiabetesday.org