Everyone knows the depressing South African diabetes statistics, but it can seem a little hopeless: what can ordinary people like us do about such huge numbers?
Where do we even begin?
We begin by dismantling diabetes stigma.
We can’t keep quiet about diabetes any longer. It’s costing us our lives. Join us in South Africa’s largest diabetes stigma campaign to show that diabetes doesn’t discriminate: DiabetesLooksLikeMe. Diabetes stigma might seem like a minor problem – people making bad jokes about getting diabetes, or acting weird around injections. But the reality is that South Africa has a huge diabetes stigma problem, and it’s contributing to the fact that 1 in 2 South Africans with diabetes are undiagnosed. Which contributes directly to the fact that diabetes is the number 1 killer of women and number 2 killer of men in our country.
It’s time to change the face of diabetes in South Africa.
How? By showing that diabetes doesn’t just affect one kind of person. It looks like me – and you, and all these other people. By bringing diabetes into the spotlight: online, in person and in the media. By dispelling the myths and misinformation around diabetes.
Together, we can show that #DiabetesLooksLikeMe.
Share the video, share the message Our video of all kinds of South Africans with diabetes – embargoed until Tuesday 13th May – shows that diabetes comes to every kind of person, regardless of age, gender, race or socio-economic background.
Alongside this, we’re inviting people with diabetes to share a selfie on Wednesday 14th May with the hashtag #DiabetesLooksLikeMe so that we can flood social media with images of all different kinds of people with diabetes.
Another huge part of diabetes stigma is misinformation. That’s why we’ve put together this easy-to-understand one-page Diabetes Fact Sheet, as well as these articles to give a deeper understanding of the lived experience of diabetes, with expert input from psychologist Daniel Sher, who both lives with Type 1 diabetes himself, and works with people with diabetes.
Read – and share – more about diabetes on www.sweetlife.org.za/diabeteslookslikeme/
Diabetes stigma Is there a stigma around living with diabetes?
Let’s talk about diabetes stigma
Share your story
We’re inviting people with diabetes to share their stories of stigma on Facebook and Instagram, as well as by joining us in a Facebook Live on Wednesday 28th May at 7pm. It will be a discussion between psychologist Daniel Sher and Sweet Life co-founder Bridget McNulty, both living with diabetes, in which they welcome questions and comments from the broader diabetes community. Everyone is invited!
“Sharing personal stories helps to actively dismantle stigma. Narrative sharing builds connection, challenges harmful stereotypes, and validates the emotional reality of people living with diabetes.” Daniel Sher, Type 1 diabetes psychologist.
Working together to combat diabetes stigma
Find out more at https://sweetlife.org.za/diabeteslookslikeme