Madam Theresa Alorvor, a staff nurse in charge of Diabetes disease at the Keta Municipal Hospital in the Volta Region, has urged the public to prioritise their health and check their diabetes status every month.
This, according to her, would help mitigate the risk level of diabetes in many of the communities.
In commemoration with this year’s World Diabetes Day, Madam Alorvor, explained to the Ghana News Agency that diabetes was a medical condition that occurs when the blood sugar (glucose) level in the body becomes too high.
“The World Diabetes Day marked on November 14 every year is to provide us an opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue, its risks, prevention, early diagnosis, and timely treatment,” she said.
She mentioned situations such as overweight, insufficient physical activities, smoking, too much sugar intake, and passage from mother to child during pregnancy among others as likely factors that could cause diabetes.
Madam Alorvor said there is type 1 and 2 diabetes, where type 2 could be preventable through a healthy diet, regular exercise, maintaining normal body weight, and avoidance of tobacco use.
“One must avoid intake of aerated drinks and beverages with added sugar, proper management of blood pressure which should be 130/80 or lower and others to prevent the disease.”
She said type 1 diabetes could not be prevented but could be treated and its complications avoided or delayed with regular screening and treatment.
Madam Alorvor mentioned that diabetes remained a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation, “therefore, the public is needed to be educated on it globally.”
She also urged the public to constantly seek regular screening for complications to aid early detection, which include eye examinations, and foot assessments, among others.
The GNA also observed that the Keta Hospital has commenced free diabetes test for residents, which started on Tuesday November 14 and would end on Friday 17.
The theme for this year’s celebration was “Access to Diabetes Care.”
GNA
