Free tests for schoolchildren as diabetes campaign kicks off

Officials from the ministry said on Wednesday that the tests will be done to determine the percentage of children with diabetes as well the number of those at risk.

Based on the results, the ministry will develop an action plan to help those affected to follow a healthy lifestyle.

“The ministry aims to educate the community and increase their awareness about the risks associated with diabetes and how to prevent it,” said Dr Mahmoud Fikri, Executive Director for Health Policies at the ministry and Chairman of the Higher National Committee to Combat Diabetes.

More than 250 teachers and school nurses from over 40 schools participated in workshops that were organized in Al Fujairah and Al Ain in March to raise the awareness on the disease.

The different phases of the campaign are part of a three year plan aimed at equipping children with practical knowledge on how to live with diabetes, and are being organised by the ministries of health and education in cooperation with Sanofi-Aventis Gulf.

A questionnaire titled “What do you eat?” and “What do you do on the weekend?” was distributed to 800 students from 10 private and public schools so as to take stock of their lifestyle.

Children between ages 8, 9 and 10 years old were asked to answer the questionnaire and were provided with a pace counter to measure the size of their daily activities.

“We need to be able to highlight the dangers of diabetes and raise awareness across the entire country. This is a unique operation and by 2012, we will have visited every single school in the country in a bid to fight the causes of this disease,” said Dr Fikri.

The programme, which is part of the National Diabetic Strategy, gives practical advice on ways to avoid the disease through changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle. The first phase of the programme was launched in December 2009 and targeted 60 schools by educating teachers, school nurses, students and parents on the disease.

Research and studies indicate that individuals who live and grow up in a culture that lacks sports, correct healthy food and lifestyles would face difficulties in changing their life style when
in future.

“Therefore, teaching young children on how to follow a healthy lifestyle, introducing them to the benefits of it, is the best way to avoid diabetes that might be fatal,” he said.

A pilot project that teaches diabetic children to self inject insulin is already being implemented in two schools.

“We want children with the disease to learn how to effectively manage it themselves especially in settings such as schools where someone may not be able to help them immediately,” Dr Salah Al Badawi, Public Health Consultant and Director of the National Project for Control of Diabetes, said.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com