Today, 14th November, is World Diabetes Day 2017 (#WDD2017), commemorated to create global awareness on Diabetes Mellitus (DM), and spearheaded by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
The theme for World Diabetes Day is “Women and Diabetes – our right to a healthy future”.
Diabetes is classified into Type 1 (Inability of the pancreas to produce insulin), Type2 (high blood sugar, insulin resistance and relative lack of insulin), Gestational Diabetes and “other specific types”
Diabetes is a dangerous threat to the health of mothers and children which is often neglected.
1 in 10 women have diabetes and 1 in 7 births is affected by gestational diabetes with risks for the baby such as macrosomia (high birth weight), congenital heath and central nervous system abnormalities as well as skeletal muscle malformations.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, about 199 million women in the world live with diabetes and as “gender roles and power dynamics influence vulnerability to diseases, affect access to health services and health-seeking behaviour for women, the impact of diabetes on women is amplified”.
The #WDD2017 campaign is to promote the importance of affordable access to diabetes medicines and technologies for all women at risk or living with diabetes. This campaign includes providing self-management education, information needed by all to achieve optimal diabetes outcomes and strengthen their capacity to prevent type 2 diabetes.
In Nigeria, 5 million people have been diagnosed of Diabetes according to experts and, according to a national survey and estimates of the IDF, the prevalence of Diabetes in Nigeria has increased from 2.2% to 5%, half of whom are undiagnosed.
According to Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, on a post on Twitter this morning; “When I was diagnosed with #T1D (Type 1 Diabetes), it came as a shock. But to all of you with diabetes, on World #Diabetes Day, I want to say this: #T1D should not stop you from fulfilling your ambitions”.
As the whole world commemorates Diabetes Day, ARFH, in line with the vision of improving livelihoods of underprivileged communities is committed to promoting self-management information and education for those diagnosed of Diabetes to enable them achieve optimal outcomes, and to strengthen Nigerians’ capacity to prevent type 2 diabetes which makes up 90% of the cases worldwide.
On this premise and in other to build healthier future, ARFH encourages everyone to be on the watch for the signs and symptoms of Diabetes such as: weight loss, increase urination, increased thirst, increased hunger, blurry vision, headache, fatigue, itchy skin and slow healing of cuts.
Menu