By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: A large number of people screened at a recent awareness campaign were found to have diabetes, according to a senior health expert at National Diabetes Centre.
A diabetes awareness campaign in Ramadan has collected 2,200 samples in two days from people who visited Imam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahaab Mosque in Doha.
“We are analysing these samples Initial results might show that 15 to 20 percent people are diabetic. And one-third are newly discovered diabetic patients,” Professor Abdul Badi Abou Samra, Chairman, Department of Medicine, and Senior Consultant, Endocrinology and Diabetes, told a press conference at Hamad Medical Corporation’s National Diabetes Centre yesterday.
Around 20 nursing staff conducted blood sugar tests at the mosque after Friday prayer and midnight prayer because those people had completed nine to 10 hours of fast and were fit for screening.
The centre provides the diabetic population with improved care and access to specialised services offered through a multi-disciplinary approach.
To prevent diabetes and for early detection, screenings will be held across Qatar.
“Imamas will be approached to make use of the sermons and spread the message on diabetes and lifestyle diseases,” said Prof Samra.
Screening campaigns will also be held at schools to identify children with diabetes.
The centre will work with the Ministry of Awqaf and the Supreme Education Council on screenings and the awareness campaign.
Such campaigns will also be held to coincide with significant days such as World Diabetic day, Sports day, Ramadan Campaign and the Haj season.
The prevalence of diabetes is alarmingly high in Qatar and other GCC countries, and significantly, all the six GCC nations rank among the top 12 countries of the world, with the highest incidence.
According to International Diabetes Federation, 382 million people have diabetes across the world and more than 34.6 million people in the Middle East and North Africa region.
By 2035, the number is likely to reach 67.9 million.
There were 282,530 cases of diabetes in Qatar in 2013.
Studies have revealed that the incidence in Qatar has been rising since 1990 and this holds true for children also.
According to statistics, around 16 percent of Qatar’s population is diabetic.
A major link has been found between obesity and diabetes. Studies have found that 45 percent of people in Qatar are obese and 55 percent of diabetics obese.
The Peninsula
