HEALTHY WALK

DIABETES is a silent killer and so it was heartening to see thousands taking part in the Beat Diabetes Walk in Dubai, (“Over 15,000 UAE residents participate in ‘Beat Diabetes Walk’,” Nov. 25, The Gulf Today).

A sedentary lifestyle especially among the expatriates is adding to the numbers of people falling victim to the malaise. According to Dubai Diabetes Survey over 14.7 per cent of expatriates and over 19 per cent in Emiratis in Dubai alone are suffering from diabetes. Initiatives like these go a long way in raising awareness, but it’s more of a personal thing because lifestyle plays a very dominant role barring those who are affected because of hereditary strains.

The UAE government is doing a lot towards curtailing its spread. Apart from various diabetes awareness programmes for adults the government has also started a project for students. The Ministry of Health and Prevention in conjunction with the Ministry of Education with the partnership of Sanoi HAD over 4,600 students, 500 teachers and 800 parents from across 22 schools in the UAE participating in a one-year pilot project of the Kids and Diabetes in Schools (KIDS) programme.

The programme, reports said, was initiated by the health ministry in response to the widespread epidemic of ‘diabesity’ in schoolchildren. It Is ESTIMATED that nearly 60,000 schoolchildren under the age of 15 have Type 1 diabetes in the Mena region and Type 2 diabetes is rising at the rate of 3 per cent annually among school going adolescents. That the illness is hitting children also, is a big concern and parents need to monitor the lifestyle habits of their children. Ruchi Sharma

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