Childhood diabetes on the rise — National Diabetes Association

More than three million Ghanaians are currently living with diabetes, the President of the National Diabetes Association of Ghana, Mrs Elizabeth Esi Denyoh, has said.

According to her, the number of diabetic patients continued to rise in the country and half of the people who died from the disease were under 60 years.

She also said the association had identified about 712 children between the ages of three and 25 who were battling with childhood diabetes.

In an interview on the upcoming World Diabetes Day celebration on Monday, November 14, 2016, Mrs Denyoh said a durbar would be held at Ada in the Greater Accra Region to mark the day.

World Diabetes Day 

The event, on the theme: “Eyes on diabetes”, is to create awareness of diabetes. 

Mrs Denyoh, who is also the Chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) West Africa, said the event would be graced by top government officials. 

World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign focusing on diabetes and is held on November 14 each year. 

Led by the IDF, World Diabetes Day was launched in 1991 by the IDF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) in response to the rapid rise in diabetes around the world. 

It is said that out of the number of people with diabetes in Ghana, 73 per cent are unaware or undiagnosed, with majority of these people between the ages of 15 and 45.

Mrs Denyoh said diabetes was on the rise in Ghana and added that hereditary, lack of exercise, diet mismanagement and unnecessary stress were some major causes of the disease.

Ministry not supportive 

She appealed to the Ministry of Health to support the association in fighting the disease, saying “in spite of the memorandum of understanding signed with the Ministry of Health in 2012 to work together to reduce the incidence of diabetes in the country, the ministry was not helping much”.

As part of the agreement, she said, the ministry was to support the association to organise the annual World Diabetes Day and clear insulin and other medical supplies which were shipped freely by an international organisation.

She said the ministry’s decision not to support the clearing of the medical items this year, as well as its refusal to support the association to organise this year’s World Diabetes Day, was worrying and stifling efforts to fight the disease.

The insulin and medical supplies, she said, were for children living with diabetes, and “so when the ministry refused, we cleared it from the port with the support of private companies”.

She appealed to the Ministry of Health for support to fight the disease.