Table of Contents
Introduction
World Diabetes Day is marked on November 14th annually. This is an opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of diabetes on people’s health and to highlight the opportunities to strengthen the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes. This chronic, metabolic disease is characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which over time lead to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. Read more
Common Type
The commonest is type 2 diabetes, which occurs mostly in adults and occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or does not make enough insulin. Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes, occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin by itself. Gestational diabetes can develop during pregnancy when the body cannot make enough insulin, causing high blood sugar that usually improves after birth.
About 830 million people worldwide are estimated to have diabetes, the majority of whom are living in low-and middle-income countries. About half of all adults with diabetes are unaware of their condition which leads over time to serious health complications. However, symptoms such as frequent urination, blurred vision, feeling tired, having slow-healing soreness, losing weight unintentionally, etc., should prompt one for blood glucose checks and other diagnoses. The best way to detect diabetes early is to get regular blood glucose checkups.
Risk Factors
The risks of getting diabetes include being overweight with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25, high blood pressure, family history of diabetes, smoking or excessive alcohol intake, poor stress management, and older age. Lifestyle modifications including a healthier diet, exercise, and regular medical check-ups have been proven to prevent or improve the condition.
Promoting Health: Tain District Hospital Marks World Diabetes Day 2024
As part of the hospital’s commitment to improving the health of the populace, the 2024 World Diabetes Day celebration was commemorated by the facility with several activities which included; health education, community sensitization, blood pressure, and free diabetes screening. The activities were under the global theme: “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps”. As of October, the Tain District Hospital had recorded 96 newly diagnosed cases of diabetes in 2024. This was as a result of regular diabetes screening for early detection of new cases.
On Wednesday 27th November, 2024 at exactly 7:00 am, the facility once again organized free diabetes screening for the general public within Tain District at Nsawkaw main market. The purpose was to provide free blood glucose screening among new clients and detect diabetes at an early stage. A total of 148 clients were screened for fasting blood sugar (FBS). 12 new clients were diagnosed with hyperglycemia (high levels of sugar in their blood) with an average reading of 9.0 mmol/L. Clients’ details were recorded, educated, and referred to the Tain district hospital for further evaluation. Always remember, that the best way to detect diabetes early is to get regular blood glucose checkups. More health articles on our blog page
Reported By:
Kennedy Damoah (Health Promotion Officer)
