Over 40,000 Nigerians have died from diabetes in 2015,
not forgetting about one million country men and women
who have the disease but are yet to be diagnosed and
treated, and another estimated 3.85 million people with
impaired glucose tolerance, a pre-diabetic condition.
This was revealed by the Nigerian Medical Association
(NMA) in a statement signed by its President and Secretary
General, Dr. Kayode Obembe and Dr. Adewumi Alayaki
respectively, in commemoration of the 2016 World Health
Day with the theme; “Halt the rise, beat diabetes”.
Statistics revealed that more than 1.6 million Nigerians
who are living under the scourge of diabetes have
constituted a national prevalence of 1.9 per cent who spend
up to N53, 000 annually for their treatment, and this mainly
is an out-of-pocket expenditure.
The Association lamented that despite warnings by
epidemiologists of the ‘epidemic’ of non-communicable
diseases of which diabetes and obesity are front runners,
and the flag-off of a nation-wide campaign for healthy living
and periodic medical check-ups in 2013 by the Association,
not much has been done to chart a national response to
halt the rise of diabetes.
Diabetes is not just a medical issue but one with a huge
multi-sectoral and socioeconomic dimension and severe
burden on the health system and national economy, through
direct medical expenditures and loss of man hours and
wages. Take preventive methods to live a diabetic free life
not forgetting about one million country men and women
who have the disease but are yet to be diagnosed and
treated, and another estimated 3.85 million people with
impaired glucose tolerance, a pre-diabetic condition.
This was revealed by the Nigerian Medical Association
(NMA) in a statement signed by its President and Secretary
General, Dr. Kayode Obembe and Dr. Adewumi Alayaki
respectively, in commemoration of the 2016 World Health
Day with the theme; “Halt the rise, beat diabetes”.
Statistics revealed that more than 1.6 million Nigerians
who are living under the scourge of diabetes have
constituted a national prevalence of 1.9 per cent who spend
up to N53, 000 annually for their treatment, and this mainly
is an out-of-pocket expenditure.
The Association lamented that despite warnings by
epidemiologists of the ‘epidemic’ of non-communicable
diseases of which diabetes and obesity are front runners,
and the flag-off of a nation-wide campaign for healthy living
and periodic medical check-ups in 2013 by the Association,
halt the rise of diabetes.
Diabetes is not just a medical issue but one with a huge
multi-sectoral and socioeconomic dimension and severe
burden on the health system and national economy, through
direct medical expenditures and loss of man hours and
wages. Take preventive methods to live a diabetic free life
