From Ahmed Kaigama, Bauchi
The National President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, DAN, Dr Mohammed Alkali who is also the Chief Medical Director, CMD, of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital [ATBUTH] Bauchi has disclosed that at least 415 million people in the world live with diabetes.
Alkali who made this disclosure in a press statement issued to journalists yesterday in Bauchi on the association’s preparation to celebrate the World Diabetes Day, WDD, on 14th of November this year in Abuja.
He said diabetes has assumed a global epidemic position and was the dominant non communicable disease that constitutes a major health challenge particularly in developing countries.
According to him, “ Although there is no current national prevalence survey in Nigeria, a prevalence of 2.8% was reported in 2015 and more than 60% are undiagnosed..
He added that, 14thNovember every year was earmarked by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) as the World Diabetes Day (WDD) since 1991 and it became an official United Nations day in 2006 via resolution 61/225. According to him, the World Diabetes Day ‘serves as the primary global awareness campaign of the disease opining that cases could be prevented by lifestyle modification which required a high political will.
“The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘’Women and Diabetes-Our right to a healthy future’’.
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