The world has lost many as a result of diabetes and other non communicable diseases. In order to reduce and possibly eliminate the spread of these diseases, Nigeria’s federal health ministry has announced a meeting involving the Nigerian government, Civil Society Organization and other health experts on diabetes and other Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) in Abuja on 23rd – 24th August, 2017.
In addition, Boade Akinola, Director of Media and Public Relations at the federal ministry of health stated that the meeting is being organized by the Federal Ministry of Health, Strategies for Improving Diabetes Care in Nigeria (SIDCAIN) and the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF):
“It is expected that over 100 delegates would converge to discuss and share ideas on how to reduce the prevalence of Non- communicable diseases especially Diabetes in Nigeria.”
Records confirmed that about 415 million people have diabetes in the world and more than 14 million of them live in sub-Saharan Africa. According to estimates, these figures will be more than double by 2040 if proper measures are not taken to tackle the diseases.
Nigeria has also recorded some large number of people living with diabetes. The International Diabetes Foundation also revealed that there were more than 1.56 million cases of diabetes in Nigeria in 2015. In reaction to Nigerian diabetes status, the Director of Non Communicable Diseases at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Nnenna Ezeigwe, described diabetes as one of the major public health challenges of the 21st century. He said the disease has proven to lack cure and keeps increasing in figures:
“By bringing many key partners together, we hope to foster more cooperation and synergies between the people and projects fighting diabetes and other NCDs in Nigeria.”
Nigerian health ministry disclosed that on August 23, the meeting would focus more on sharing experience from World Diabetes Foundation which has been funding projects to improve diabetes prevention awareness and care in Nigeria since 2008. Also, it was revealed that the meeting will provide strategic measures to combating diabetes and non communicable diseases in the country.
Further more, the Managing Director, World Diabetes Foundation, Dr. Anders Dejgaard, said the meeting would encourage networking and action between the World Diabetes Foundation project and other stakeholders in the health sector. He also said alot will be done on solution plan to curb the diseases.
As part of the recorded measures to create awareness on the disease, the Principal Investigator, Strategies for Improving Diabetes Care in Nigeria, Prof. Alebiosu Christopher Olutayo, said that his organisation has been creating awareness on the measures for diabetes improvement for the past nine years in Nigeria.
This meeting has promised to enlighten minds on measures on diabetes and non communicable diseases’ eradication. Ministry of health has urge every Nigerian to take precautionary measures in eradicating these diseases in the country.
