Monday Nov 14, 2016 is World Diabetes Day.
The theme for World Diabetes Day 2016 is “Eyes on Diabetes”.
The year’s activity and materials will focus on promoting the importance of screening to ensure early diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes and treatment to reduce the risks of serious complications.
The Worlds Diabetes Day is celebrated annually and is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
It was created in 1991 by IDF and World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes, and was later recognized by the UN in 2006 as “Blue Ribbon Day.
President of PNG Diabetic Association, Dr Lutty Amos says the aim of the World Diabetes Day campaign is to be the platform to promote IDF advocacy efforts throughout the year and be the global driver to promote the importance of taking coordinated and concerted actions to confront diabetes as a critical global health issue.
“The day aims to advocate and raise awareness on actions that are taken to fight against diabetes,” says Dr Amos.
The focus is basically to test and screen people with diabetes, mostly Type 2 diabetes to prevent complications.
“Eye complications are one of the major complicated illnesses that diabetics have.”
Dr Amos says most of the cases in PNG, people do not seek treatment at early stages and they turn up at the hospital because of some other certain type of complication only to later find out that they have Diabetes.
“We hope that through this event, people can come along and get tested so they can be diagnosed early so they can treat and manage diabetes to minimize the number of people developing this complication in the future.”
Lead up activities to the World Diabetes Day on the 14th includes NCD health doing free screening and testing at all major health clinics and the target is to get at least 5000 people screened and tested for NCD.
This is collaboration between the Diabetic Association of PNG and NCD Health.
City Pharmacy have also come board to provide glucho metres including free screening and testing for today and tomorrow at the Boroko and Stop N Shop, Waigani Central.
Pacific International Hospital has also come on board to conduct free eye checks as well as the Latter Day Saints church for having sponsored the purchasing of 5000 strips that will be used during the screenings and several glucho metres.