By Edet Ikotidem
As part of the activities to commemorate World Diabetes Day in 2021, the Lions Clubs International MD 404-A2 will test and screen more than 13,000 Nigerians across the country for diabetes
The District Governor, Lion Lynda Odu- Okpeseyi, who made the known during an awareness walk to educate the public about the disease, stated that the exercise is part of the club’s social responsibility to society to raise awareness about the disease’s growing burden and strategies to prevent and treat it.
Lion Lynda Odu-Okpeseyi advised Nigerians to get tested to determine their status and how to deal with it if positive.
Similarly, a diabetes patient in Akwa Ibom who asked not to be identified blamed the high rate of diabetes complications such as blindness, stroke, and leg ulcers on ignorance.
According to the respondent who spoke with the society news crew, ignorance has remained a major factor contributing to the rising rate of complications and mortality because many Nigerians living with the disease have little or no knowledge of the complications until it reaches the worst stage.
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He claims that hardly a day goes by without hearing the tragic news of a relative, friend, or colleague who died suddenly from this disease.
The diabetes patient whose left leg was amputated stressed that many patients are unaware they have diabetes because they only find out when they have an injury in their foot that becomes infected and necessitates amputation.
He advised members of the public to have regular blood sugar tests to determine their status and, if necessary, to receive appropriate treatment.
The respondent also requested that government and non-government organizations provide health intervention programs such as screening, educationon, and the provision of geriatric nutrition interventions such as nutrition screening, blood pressure and glucose level checks, Body Mass Index measurement, and health counseling to the general public and diabetes patients in particular.
