WHO, experts urge intensified action to reduce diabetes

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for greater action to turn the growing tide of the global diabetes disease.
WHO made the call on the 2015 World Diabetes Day marked November 14 annually to create awareness on diabetes.
The theme of World Diabetes Day from 2014 to 2016 is ` Healthy Living and Diabetes.’
The WHO described diabetes as “ a chronic disease that occurred when the body did not produce enough insulin.
“It can also occur when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces to help the body metabolise the sugar that is formed from the food eaten.
“Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar, which gives us the energy we need to live. When it is unable to get into the cells to be burned as energy, the sugar could build up to harmful levels in the blood.’’
According to the WHO, close to 350 million people in the world have diabetes.
“ It is of great importance to learn how to minimise one’s risk of getting diabetes and to know how to detect and treat it as the prevalence increases.
“Multiple actions can be done to reduce the impact of diabetes, through adopting healthy lifestyles, such as partaking in physical activity and healthy diets.
“Others actions would also include governments’ action on curbing the marketing of unhealthy foods and ensuring that health systems provide the required services and care for people living with the disease.
“There is also need to increase awareness about the rise in diabetes, and its staggering burden and consequences, in particular in low-and middle-income countries,’’ WHO said.
The world took a major step recently to address the diabetes epidemic by setting a target to reduce by one-third deaths attributed to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, by 2030.
This is part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
WHO projects that diabetes will be the seventh leading cause of death by 2030.
There are two main forms of the diabetes, types 1 and 2; people with type 1 diabetes typically make none of their own insulin and therefore, require insulin injections for survival.
People with type 2 diabetes, the form that comprises some 90 per cent of all cases usually produced their own insulin, but not enough or they are unable to use it properly.
People with type 2 diabetes are typically overweight and sedentary.
The effects of diabetes included deterioration of body organs due to high blood sugars and this could cause heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, impotence and infections that could lead to amputations.
With early detection and proper treatment, the impact of diabetes could be minimised.
Meanwhile, the National Complementary and Alternative Medicine Association (NACAMA) has called on International Agencies, Federal and State Governments to fashion out programmes to improve household diet to stem the spate of diabetes.
National President of NACAMA, Prof. Peter Katchy, made the call on Saturday in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Katchy said it became necessary for government at all levels, agencies to create awareness that would compel majority of Nigerians to “eat and drink right at the household level’’ to prevent diabetes.
According to him, the increase in cases of diabetes among the people in the active working age of the nation is worrisome and unacceptable.
“The International and national body must develop attractive diet programme to stem diabetes at all levels across the country.
“The diet must contain essential elements in proper proportions for health and vitality.
“A healthy breakfast will help blood sugar level against getting too high and will keep you full throughout the morning,’’ he said.
He advised Nigerians above 35 years to ensure routine check of their blood sugar, urine analysis and other diabetes related checks, adding that symptoms of diabetes could be easily detected.
“Its symptoms are frequent urination, great thirst, gradual weight loss, weakness, mental depression, restlessness and inordinate appetite, dyspepsia (indigestion) and lassitude.
“ Some patients complain of loss of appetite, but others develop a craving, particularly for sweet foods,’’ he said.
He, however, urged diabetic patients to wear inner tags indicating that they are diabetic to attract doctors’ attentions for prompt treatment.
“The little card must have a bio-data of the patient including name, address and telephone number where possible,’’ he said.
The theme of World Diabetes Day, from 2014 to 2016 is “Healthy living starts at breakfast’’ which focuses on starting each day right by having a healthy and well-constituted breakfast.
Also Dr Abdulrahman Jafar of the Department of Family Medicine, Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, Kogi State has urged governments to raise public awareness on the alarming rate of diabetes.
Jafar made the call in Lokoja on Saturday.
The expert stressed the need to increase public enlightenment and encourage the prevention of the disease in the country.
He urged stakeholders and governments at all levels to raise awareness on the alarming rate of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases like hypertension, cancer, among others.
“The general public must be sensitised on its early signs, detection, possible preventions and treatments.
“Diabetic disease is so common in our environment these days, and is killing people gradually and silently at an alarming rate.
“We must take proactive measures as governments and as individuals to drastically reduce this negative trend in our society.
“To remain healthy is for individuals to adopt measures in their lifestyle that will prevent certain diseases in order to stay healthy”, Jafar said.
He stressed the need for individuals to be careful with what they eat; drink and do which could predispose them to certain diseases.
Jafar defined diabetes as one of the non-communicable diseases that occurred as a result of metabolic disorder.
“It can also be referred to as a metabolic disease due to the inability of body cells to handle glucose because of their weaknesses.
He explained that with insulin, the substance that convert glucose into storage for further assimilation by the body, the disease could be controlled.
The medical practitioner noted that anybody could have diabetes, adding that it has no permanent cure.
Jafar said diabetic patients usually complained of excessive urination (poly-urea), excessive thirst (poly-dypsia), excessive eating (poly-phagia), and foaming of urine.
“In advanced cases, the patients easily get tired, frequent headache, blindness, hypertension and many other symptoms.
“Diabetic diseases are also hereditary but not in all cases, but it does not necessarily mean that diabetic parents will automatically have diabetic children.
“If individuals have family history of diabetes, such persons should find out the age at which their parents developed it and take necessary precautions.
“The public must take responsibility for their lives by being self-conscious to present themselves in the hospital for regular check up of their blood sugar content”, the expert advised.
Jafar, however, urged the public to minimise their consumption rate of refined sugar such as the usual sugar, soft drinks, alcohol and even honey.
He also advised diabetic patients to adhere strictly to clinicians’ advice in terms of clinical appointments, medications and lifestyles.
World Diabetes Day is marked annually on November 14, to raise awareness on diabetes and how to prevent and manage it.