According to Dr. Afoke Isiavwe, chairman of the board of trustees for the Diabetes Control Media Advocacy Initiative (DICOMAI), diabetes is a chronic disease that develops when the pancreas can no longer produce insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Diabetes is one of the biggest global health emergencies of the twenty-first century because of its serious and fatal consequences.
Isiavwe estimated that 537 million people and 1.1 million children worldwide suffer from diabetes, including over 5 million adults in Nigeria. She continued by stating that type 2 diabetes, the most common type, can often be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes affects nearly all the body’s organs, and when left untreated, can lead to loss of vision, dental problems, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, lower limb amputation, sexual dysfunction, among other things.
She cited the warning symptoms as feeling thirstier than usual, frequent urination, weight loss, weakness, mood swings, impaired vision, sores that won’t heal, and the emergence of diseases like gum, skin, and vaginal infections, among other things.
She added: “Nigerians also need to be aware that factors such as a family history of diabetes, overweight, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, increasing age, high blood pressure, poor nutrition during pregnancy, impaired glucose tolerance and history of gestational diabetes have been closely associated with type 2 diabetes, the commonest diabetes type
“There is a great need for everyone to recognise these signs of diabetes so that appropriate action could be taken towards early management, to prevent complications. Also, people living with diabetes need the support of their family to cope with the financial and emotional pressure that accompanies a diabetes diagnosis. There is a great need to embrace a healthy diet, increased physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight, all of which can be easily achieved when every member of the family is involved.”
She urged Nigerians to learn more about diabetes and the preventable risks associated with it in order to lessen the burden of the disease and preventable deaths in the nation, as diabetes awareness continues to be a crucial factor in saving the lives of many people who are unaware that they have the disease and those who have been diagnosed but do not know how to manage or control it.
Isiavwe also urged authorities, healthcare providers, and other interested parties to step up efforts to inform the public adequately so they can recognize the symptoms and indicators of the ailment and the available preventative measures.