Concerning World Thyroid Day 2024 and NCDs
In 2008, the 25th of May was named World Thyroid Day (WTD) by the European Thyroid Association (ETA) and, since 2010, the Day has been endorsed by our sister Associations, The American Thyroid Association (ATA), the Latin Thyroid Association (LATS), and the Asian Oceanic Thyroid Association (AOTA).
World Thyroid Day highlights the dedication of the endocrine community — clinicians, researchers, teachers, and nurses — to the thyroid gland and its diseases and underlines the strong and constant bond between us and our patients.
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World Thyroid Day is part of the International Thyroid Awareness Week, supported by the global, non-profit network of patient organizations known as Thyroid Federation International (TFI).
During this most important Day and Week, we place emphasis on increasing awareness among the public about thyroid diseases and the necessity to keep the thyroid gland healthy in order to ensure a healthy life, this particularly applying to pregnant women, children, and our most senior citizens, all of whom are more vulnerable to the risk factors of thyroid diseases and thyroid dysfunction.
This year, World Thyroid Day is simultaneously dedicated to Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide (18 million people annually), followed by cancers (9.3 million), respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (1.5 million). These four groups of diseases account for over 80% of all premature NCD deaths https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/noncommunicable-diseases
The World Health Organization’s World Health Report 2002 identified five important risk factors for NCDs in the top ten leading risks to health. These are arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and obesity. The other factors associated with higher risk of NCDs include, for example, a person’s economic and social circumstances, also known as social determinants of health.
It has been estimated that if the primary risk factors were eliminated, 80% of the cases of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes mellitus and 40% of cancers could be prevented.
Interventions targeting the main risk factors could have a significant impact on reducing the burden of disease worldwide with efforts focused on better lifestyle, nutrition, and increased physical activity having been shown to effectively reduce the prevalence of NCDs.
Notably, several autoimmune diseases have been associated with specific CVDs, such as atherosclerotic diseases, valve disorders, and arrhythmias. However, autoimmune thyroid diseases, and particularly hypothyroidism, have not yet been officially included among the risk factors for NCDs.
Timely thyroid function testing and, vitally, adequate intake and/or dietary supplementation of iodine, selenium, iron, and vitamin D are needed to minimize the risk of thyroid disease. Moreover, health sectors everywhere need to actively participate in the development of policies (e.g., campaigns against tobacco use and universal health coverage) to counteract the spread of NCDs.
Meanwhile, thyroidologists worldwide must continue to shield their patients from NCDs (for example, by promoting self-awareness, proposing various forms of lifestyle management, and controlling metabolic disorders), while also appealing to the authorities, among them the World Health Organization and the European Union, to strive for the reduction of NCDs and also to make the world a safe and healthy place (notably, in the field of preservation of our global environment).
A prime prerequisite for the achievement of the above aims is the official recognition of thyroid diseases as being a major component of NCDs.
Let us all commemorate and draw inspiration and
knowledge from our 26th World Thyroid Day!
Prof. Dr. Leonidas Duntas
On behalf of the European Thyroid Association (ETA) Public Health Board
The History of World Thyroid Day
During the Annual General Meeting prior to the European Thyroid Association (ETA) Congress in Leipzig, Germany, in September 2007, the members of Thyroid Federation International decided to create “World Thyroid Day”, and chose the date of May 25th for this occasion (as there has been already a national thyroid awareness day in some Scandinavian countries).
During the ETA Congress, TFI members put a little poster on their booth: “The 25th of May is World Thyroid Day”. Shortly afterwards, a logo was created, and it was decided that the first World Thyroid Day would be celebrated in 2008.
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It was also decided to send an application to the UN, to have May 25th included on the list of “World … days” – but as TFI, at that date, was not a stand-alone organization, only a subgroup of TFC in Canada, this request was not accepted then.
Therefore, TFI has never officially organized this “World Thyroid Day”, as a worldwide event, yet, various member organizations have events on this occasion all over the world. It has also been adopted by professional endocrinology organizations as well.
In their newsletter published in March 2008, the ETA announced the first “European Thyroid Day” on May 25th, 2008.
At the same time, the date of May 25th celebrates the creation of the ETA (founded on May 25th, 1965, and celebrated its 40th anniversary on May 25th, 2005).
European Thyroid Day, May 25th
May 25th has been designed as the anniversary of the European Thyroid Association, founded in Rome, May 25th, 1965, and in 2005 the ETA celebrated at the Jubilee Meeting in Athens, 40 years of excellence in clinical and experimental research.
We, therefore, propose the designation of May 25th as the European Thyroid Day in the context of a number of several international efforts to implement a World Thyroid Day.
We strongly encourage all nationally or regionally based thyroid groups and networks in Europe to organize meetings on May 25th with the public, patients and the media, in order to draw attention to thyroid-related problems and increase the visibility of the ETA.
The European Thyroid Association Public Affairs Board, March 2008
The Logo of the European Thyroid Day – 25th May
In 2009, the ETA created a special logo:
the Logo of the European Thyroid Day 25th May
On the occasion of the European Thyroid Day, in Athens, the Public Affairs Board of the ETA produced a logo with the aim of increasing visibility and requesting the active participation of all those who are involved in clinical and experimental thyroidology, ensuring their continued commitment and dedication to all our thyroid patients.
We sincerely hope that the logo is to your liking and trust that it will offer additional inspiration to us all for the celebration of this special day, one that hopefully will further stimulate both political and public interest in thyroid disease, the most common endocrine disease worldwide, while simultaneously promoting the ETA.
Prof. Dr. Leonidas Duntas, on behalf of the Public Affairs Board
Then, ETA and ATA decided to name the event: “World Thyroid Day”, instead of “European Thyroid Day”.
ATA press statement, 2010:
Newswise — The American Thyroid Association, in cooperation with its sister associations all over the the world, supports World Thyroid Day, May 25, 2010, marking it a day to promote awareness and understanding of thyroid health and the advances made in treating thyroid diseases.
World Thyroid Day was established in 2008 as part of a campaign led by the European Thyroid Association (www.eurothyroid.com) and The American Thyroid Association (www.thyroid.org) to emphasize the prevalence of thyroid diseases, to focus on the urgent need for education and prevention programs, and to increase awareness of new treatment modalities.
ATA press statement, 2011:
ABOUT WORLD THYROID DAY
Press release from the American Thyroid Association
The American Thyroid Association, in cooperation with sister international thyroid societies, the European Thyroid Association, the Asia and Oceania Thyroid Association, and the Latin American Thyroid Society recognizes the 4th Annual World Thyroid Day, May 25, 2011.
Established in 2008, World Thyroid Day highlights five major goals to:
– increase awareness of thyroid health
– promote understanding of the advances made in treating thyroid diseases
– emphasize the prevalence of thyroid diseases
– focus on the urgent need for education and prevention programs
– expand awareness of new treatment modalities.
ETA Events Archive
The ETA press statements mention International Thyroid Awareness Week, created by TFI
In 2008, TFI started to discuss with Merck-Serono Group about the creation of the “International Thyroid Awareness Week”. It was decided to celebrate this event in May during the week following World Thyroid Day.
This was announced during a press conference at the 11th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul, in April 2009.
The first International Thyroid Awareness Week took place in May 2009 (from 25th to 31th).
A website was also created: www.thyroidweek.org. Each year, a special thyroid issue is put forward (in 2010, “Pregnancy/Children”, in 2011 “Nodules and Goiter”), with downloadable brochures, posters, videos, and all documents remain visible on the website (updated every year).
The campaign is endorsed by the European Thyroid Association (ETA), the American Thyroid Association (ATA), the Latin-American Thyroid Society (LATS), the Asia and Oceania Thyroid Association (AOTA), the Chinese Society of Endocrinology (CSE), and the Chinese Society of Nuclear Medicine (CSNM).
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