DOHA: A total of 80 children with diabetes from all over the world will take part in this year’s edition of AlBawasil camp, organised by Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA).
For the first time Doha will host kids from all seven regions comprised in the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) — America, Europe, MENA, North America, South and Central America, South East Asia and Western Pacific.
QDA and Eljaish Sports Club signed a sponsorship agreement yesterday to launch the 13th edition of the AlBawasil camp for children with diabetes, which will take place from February 17 to February 21. The camp usually hosts around 60 children from Qatar and the MENA region, however, only this year AlBawasil will have attendees from other parts of the globe, raising the number of partakers to 80, including 30 kids from Qatar and two from each of the other six regions.
“We all believe that sports help build a healthy community that is able to give its best to our country,” said Dr Abdullah Al Hamaq, Executive Director of QDA, at the press conference to present the agreement.
On his part, Dr Thani Al Kuwari, Executive Director of Eljaish Sports Club, said: “Eljaish Sports Club adopts the best international practices in using its potentials throughout moral and healthy approach; we hope to be with you, side by side, inspiring the new generations in Qatar throughout self confidence and continuous development.”
This camp is coordinated by doctors, nurses-nutritionists and social specialists in order to offer the best services. The goal is to create a safe and loving environment for children with diabetes, and teach them how to control the disease and avoid its complications.
Sharoud Aljundi, Programme Manager at QDA, added that the camp will feature workshops in English and Arabic, given that the number of non-Arabic speakers will be higher than in previous editions. Aljundi also warned that the number of children with diabetes is increasing worldwide, but in Qatar it’s not growing at the same incredible percentage.”
In this context, she stated: “Millions of dollars are spent worlwide to try and answer the question of why the prevalence of diabetes in children is increasing. Traditionally the highest number was in the cold countries like Netherlands, and the lowest in the hot countries like Sri Lanka.”
“In the meantime a lot has been invented to help children live their lives with diabetes, this is one of the objectives of the camp, which also helps the kids’ mental health,” she concluded.
The Peninsula
