Nine new treatment units to tackle Saudi diabetes problem

DIABETES PLAN: A healthy lifestyle and eating the right foods can help prevent diabetes.

Saudi health officials are planning to set up nine medical centres dedicated to the treatment of diabetes across the kingdom in a bid to tackle the disease.

The number of people suffering from diabetes in the kingdom and across the Gulf has risen dramatically over recent years due to unhealthy lifestyles and junk food.

A leading health official told the Saudi Gazette some 3.5 million Saudis were now affected by the disease, in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin to produce energy.

“Statistics show that the number of cases registered in the world has reached 140 million, including 3.5 million Saudis, which means 24 percent of the Kingdom’s population, mostly over the age of thirty, is affected by the disease” Dr Sami Badawood, director of health affairs management said.

A diabetes treatment centre in south Jeddah will be the first of the nine planned units to be launched in the country, he said. The opening date has not yet been revealed.

Badawood was speaking at the launch of the ‘Yes for Health and Life, No for Diabetes’ campaign on Wednesday.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Prevention Budget
Posted by Meri, Manama, Bahrain on Saturday 10 October 2009 at 05:48 UAE time


While spending on these medical centers (& this is unavoidable), a very important part of the fight against diabetes is about the prevention strategies. Some countries have succeeded very well into inculcating their subjects the necessity of healthy eating habits & the need to remain physically active. The later the Saudi authorities delay on enforcing real & adapted prevention campaigns, the later the population will switch eating & other habits that can greatly help in decreasing diabetes. In Saudi, one specific area where the authorities need to do some serious work is around the dangers associated with easy reach & excessive liking for fast foods. But it the common population ready to understand that there are dangers lurking in front. However, there is a remarkable PARADOX. How do you get a group of people understand this when they even don't bother to wear seat belts while driving....?

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