The Ondo State chapter of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria has raised the alarm over the increasing cases of diabetes among young people across the globe.
To raise awareness on what needs to be done, the group organised a sensitisation campaign against diabetes at Oyemekun grammar school in Akure where it also screened over 600 students and teachers.
Leader of the sensitisation campaign, Dr Adenike Enikuomehin, highlighted the symptoms, risk factors and health impacts of diabetes among young people.
Enikuomehin, a consultant physician and endocrinologist at the University of Medical Science Teaching Hospital also advised the government to improve on school sports to aid healthy lifestyle among children.
She said with about 600 million adults in the world living with diabetes, the advocacy of knowing the risk and preventing diabetes among young people has become more imperative, hence, their decision to step down the campaign to secondary schools.
‘Because of the prevalence of obesity across the world and decreased physical activities especially in our schools, more young people are coming down with diabetes and we are seeing children having type 2 diabetes unlike in the past that we had just type 1’
Shẹ recommended healthy lifestyle, intake of fruits, regular screening among other steps as effective measures to prevent diabetes as well as handle complications arising from the disease.
‘From my experience managing diabetes for young people, there is this stage of denial that people think young people cannot have diabetes even with excessive urination and weakness, repeated malaria and typhiod fever incidence. They believe it’s a spiritual attack and instead of coming for right treatment at the right time in the hospital, they resort to self help until it leads to complications like diabetes foot that might end in amputation, blindness, heart disease and stroke.’
‘The aim is to go to schools, give them the right education about healthy eating and increased physical activities and let know know what is diabetes.
‘If any of them has diabetes, they can present on time in the hospital before they come down with complications.’
The School principal, Ogunleye Okeowo thanked the group for the awareness which he noted has broadened their knowledge on diabetes and the need to be involved in regular exercises.
World diabetes day is marked on the 14th of November every year and the theme for this year is Access to Diabetes Care, if not now, when?
More pictures from the event:
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