The medical specialists have underlined the need of widespread screening for diabetes in the country to check the growing incidence of this metabolic disorder.
They were speaking at a meeting ahead of the World Diabetes Day (WDD) organized by the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) here on Saturday.
The experts informed the audience that currently there were some 10 million diabetes patients in the country and the figure was projected to rise approximately to over 14 million by 2040. It was pointed out that the World Diabetes Day was observed at global level since 1991 on November 14.
The organizers at the SIUT set up a facility in order to facilitate the maximum number of people to avail the screening and advisory facilities. This facility would continue at the institute in the days to come.
The theme for the current year is ‘Eye on Diabetes: Stressing the Need of Screening and Early Diagnoses’. In this regard, the SIUT has made elaborate arrangements in order to create awareness and educate the population at large by arranging lectures of medical specialists, advisory services for patients besides free screening and testing facilities.
The visiting public was also informed that 70 per cent of diabetes can be prevented by healthy dietary habits and regular physical activity. During the series of lectures for public, the speakers pointed out that population in Pakistan was vulnerable mainly because lack of education, ignorance, growing urbanization, and above all indifference on the part of policy and decision makers related to health sector.
They also disclosed that un-diagnosed diabetes has now become a global public health issue leading to serious outcome.
