UAE official urges corporate support for diabetes control initiatives

Dubai: A senior official on Monday called for volunteers and corporates to join hands with the Ministry of Health in the fight against the scourge of diabetes, saying the economic burden on the government is very high.

"We have to change our lifestyles. I have reduced 25 kilos myself," said Nasser Khalifa Al Badour, Director of External Affairs and head of the Minister's Office. He said all it takes is 25 minutes of activity every day (to fight the disease).

He was speaking after inaugurating the "Know Diabetes" event for the public at Ibn Batuta Mall.

Free medical checkups, presentations, educational games for children and other events will run until November 14, the World Diabetes day.

"The Ministry is spending Dh600 million in the management of diabetes. A much smaller amount can help prevent the disease," said Dr Prem Jagyasi, CEO of ExHealth, the organisors of the event.

Salah Ahmad Mohammad, director of the national programme for control of diabetes, said the Ministry of Health would earlier advise people over 40 years and obese, to get themselves screened for diabetes.

"Now we are asking anyone over 20 to get a blood test done," he said, as the disease is spreading across all walks of life.

He also said the Ministry cannot fight the spread of the disease alone and called for NGOs and the private sector to join hands.

A Know Diabetes team which visited 45 corporate houses found that 35 percent of people who were given check-ups, have alarming high random blood sugar levels despite taking medication.

"The impact of diabetes is vastly under-estimated," it said. "Although people may live for years with diabetes, their underlying cause of death is usually recorded as heart disease or kidney failure."

Novo Nordisk, a pharmaceutical firm is promting regular screening, saying that many people are unaware they are at risk or even have developed diabetes.