World Diabetes Day 2018: Understanding The Condition
It’s a diagnosis that can be very overwhelming – hearing that you have diabetes. Afterward, you may have mixed emotions, perhaps feeling stressed and unsure about how this will affect your life, while you may wonder what you could have done differently or how you could have prevented it. And to be sure, a condition like diabetes does require an entirely new approach to aspects such as lifestyle, diet and exercise, and it’s tough to manage for the whole family.
For this reason, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) decided that the theme for World Diabetes Day 2018 and 2019 should be ‘The Family and Diabetes’. The focus is on raising awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family and support network of those affected, and to promote the role of the family in the management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.
“The most important message we can give is that if you are living with either type I or type II diabetes – it’s perfectly possible to lead a healthy, fulfilling and active life with the right healthcare and family support, medication and personal attitude,”explains Dr Aneesa Sheik, Medical Director at Lilly South Africa.
Lilly educators will be available at various health facilities throughout the month of November helping people living with diabetes and their families understand the condition better.
As is the case in many countries around the world, the incidence of diabetes across Africa and in South Africa is increasing. Around 1.8 million people currently have it in South Africa, with this number expected to top around 2.7 million by 2045, according to the IDF. In addition, more than two million South Africans may have impaired glucose tolerance.
“This increase is in line with trends developing around the world,” says Dr Nicola Lister, Chief Scientific Officer & Medical Director, Novartis Southern Africa. “According to the World Health Organization, the number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014 – representing an increase from 4.7% of adults to 8.5% of adults.”…