Experts plan campaign to prevent diabetes

A team of health experts and doctors decided to launch a campaign in remote and rural areas of the country to prevent the spread of diabetes in the country under which people potentially affected from the disease will be screened.

According to details, an agreement has been reached between Screening Outreach Discovering Diabetes (SODD) and the Primary Care Diabetes Association (PCDA) under which the two has set a target of reaching at least one million diabetic patients living in villages, towns and cities of Pakistan. Under the agreement, people living in villages and towns across Pakistan having signs and symptoms of diabetes will be screened free of charge. The agreement also provides for plantation work in 100 health facilities across the country while funds will also be provided to the hospitals for the maintenance of these plants.

As per the medical experts, Pakistan ranks third in the list of countries most affected by diabetes, but in terms of population ratio, Pakistan ranks first.

Renowned diabetes specialist and President PCDA Dr Fariduddin, Secretary Dr Rashtat Ali Khan, Deputy CO of Pharmaceutical Company PharmEvo Jamshed Ahmed, anchorperson Waseem Badami and Discovering Diabetes chief Abdul Samad were present at the agreement signing ceremony.

Addressing the event, Dr Fariduddin of Dow University of Health Sciences said that according to the International Diabetes Federation, 26% of Pakistan’s population is suffering from diabetes and if we continue to follow unhealthy lifestyle, this number will double in the next few years. He said that Pakistan ranks third in the list of people affected by diabetes in terms of numbers, but we are the first in the list of countries affected by diabetes in terms of population ratio.

“Under this project, we will visit those areas that are far from cities or villages to screen the people having symptoms of the disease. After the diagnosis, treatment and medicines should also be provided to the patients affected by diabetes,” he said.

Dr Fariduddin said that more than 80% of treatment in diabetes can be done at the primary care level which includes lifestyle modification and minimal oral drugs.

Jamshed Ahmed, Deputy CO of pharmaceutical company PharmEvo said that this project is also a part of Discovering Diabetes, which aims to slow down the spread of diabetes.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2022.