United Nations (PTI): The United Nations headquarters was lit in blue along with 800 monuments worldwide as part of the "Bring Diabetes to Light" campaign, which aims to highlight the impact of the disease affecting more than 180 million people worldwide.

Among the monuments that lit up in blue were on the occasion of the World Diabetes Day were the Pyramids, the Sphinx, the London Eye, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Niagara Falls, the Tower of London, the Kuwait Towers, the Sears Tower, the Alamo and the Burj al-Arab.

In his message to mark the Day, the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged for more action to inform children and adults about the warning signs of the disease, particularly in the developing world, as diabetes is often diagnosed late or misdiagnosed as the flu.

"This year, we focus on the challenge of diabetes among children and adolescents. Diabetes is on of the most common chronic diseases of childhood, and both type 1 and type 2 diabetes can strike children at any age," said Ban. "We must also ensure access to proper medical care. Many children in the developing world die from diabetes because they do not have insulin."

In 2005 alone more than 1 million people died from diabetes, of whom almost 80 per cent were from low and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Ban warned that without immediate action the number of people worldwide with diabetes will continue to multiply, as will the number of deaths.

WHO projects that without urgent action, deaths from diabetes will increase by more than 50 per cent in the next 10 years. And by 2030, the number of people worldwide with diabetes "currently more than 180 million" is likely to double.