Centre to raise awareness about diabetes opens

Dubai: A one-stop diabetes education and monitoring centre dedicated to children and teens opened its doors to patients on Tuesday, the first of its kind in the UAE, in an effort to tackle the nation's rising diabetes rate.

The Juvenile Diabetes Education Centre, set up by the Emirates Diabetes Society (EMS) and Johnson and Johnson Corporate Trust in Dubai Healthcare City, provides free information and support services for children with Type I diabetes between the ages of 4 and 18, their parents, teachers, and school and community nurses. The services include an electronic blood sugar level link to the centre, and nutritional and treatment advice. Type I diabetes is a congenital metabolic condition, which requires daily injections of insulin.

Dr Abdul Razak Al Madani, president of the EMS, told Gulf News the centre would help empower patients and their care-givers to take more control of their disease. "Our goal is to achieve success through good blood sugar control. However, we don't give medicine or interfere with another doctor's treatment unless it's an emergency," he said.

"The education will touch on all aspects: insulin, injection sites, diet, physical activity and what to do on sick days," added Khalid Fadhli, director of the centre.

Patients will also get advice on how to interpret their blood sugar level results, which is automatically transmitted through their mobiles to the centre's server. Knowing all the information will help diabetics to manage their condition better and faster than waiting for medical intervention. This translates to fewer medical problems in the long run. Fadhli said the centre would also provide social support services to the patients and their parents.

Almost 20 per cent of the UAE population is estimated to have diabetes, of which 10 per cent are Type I. The UAE has the second highest prevalence rate in the world, according to the International Diabetes Federation.