Over 25pc Bahrainis suffering from Type II Diabetes

Manama : Diabetes is increasing dramatically among children and adults in Bahrain and according to the statistics over 25 per cent of the population of the Kingdom is suffering from Type II Diabetes, said Vice President Bahrain Diabetes Society Dr Mariam Al Hajeri.

She was speaking to DT News on the sidelines of GGSD and BDS Diabetes Conference at the Gulf Hotel, here in Bahrain.

Type II Diabetes is non-insulin dependent diabetes that affects 90pc patients while 10pc are suffering from insulin dependent Type I Diabetes and most of them have obesity.

“Half the population doesn’t know that they have diabetes,” says Dr Mariam, “The main causes of diabetes are unhealthy food and lack of exercise.” 

“The most important aim of the Bahrain Diabetes Society is   to spread awareness about the disease and to help those who have diabetes, so that they could live peacefully with the illness.

“My message to all the people is that you will have to take care of yourself to prevent diabetes and if you get it, take care of preventing the complications,” said Dr. Mariam. She said that there was no cure for this disease but that one could control it. 

“Have a healthy life style - by taking balanced diet, avoiding obesity and doing exercise,” she says, adding, “If someone has diabetes history, he must start regular check-up and avoid smoking and eating junk food.”

Director General Executive Board of the Health Ministers’ Council for Cooperation Council States Professor Dr Tawfik Khoja said Diabetes is spreading at alarming speed and it has a huge impact on the economy and the healthcare sector.

“International Diabetes Federation (IDF) projected that 40pc budget will be allocated for diabetes alone by 2025–2030,” said Dr Tawfik, “And more than 80pc death will be related to the diabetic diseases. The speed of complication in the GCC region is the fastest in the world.”

Dr Tawfik said that globally every 30 seconds, there is foot amputation and more than 80-90pc is due to diabetes. 

“The cost of diabetes has been calculated by the community studies that around 13,000 Saudi Riyals were spent on the diabetes in 2013 and it was like one-fifth of the budget of Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia,” said Dr Tawfik, who himself is a Saudi.

He said that their leaders were fully aware of the magnitude and the volume of such problems and they urged all the Ministries to work with the Ministry of Health to work out a strategic plan of action. “This is time for action to work for the better quality of life in all the GCC countries,” he added.