World Diabetes Day: Rainbow Medical Centre to Conduct Free Diabetes Screening

Martins Ifijeh

In view of recent statistics showing that millions of people worldwide are living with diabetes but unaware that they have the disease, the management of Rainbow Specialist Medical Centre, Lekki, Lagos, has announced that the hospital will be conducting free diabetes screening and diabetes foot care education for members of the public as part of activities to mark the 2017 World Diabetes Day.

In a statement signed by the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Afoke Isiavwe, the free diabetes screening started November 1 and will end November 30 between 6.30 a.m. and 7.30 am at the hospital premises in Lekki Phase 1 and every Saturday in the month of November between 8.00a.m. and 12 noon at Circle Mall, Lekki Phase 1.

WDD is marked worldwide by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on November 14, every year. The theme for this year is: ‘Women and Diabetes: Our Right to a Healthy Future.’

Isiavwe, an endocrinologist, says the theme should be of particular interest to Nigerians because the country has one of the highest numbers of persons living with diabetes in Africa. According to her, Nigeria also has a large number of women living with diabetes and they are worse off because many do not have access to diagnosis, education, treatment and care.

“This is why we are also encouraging women to seize the opportunity of our screening exercise to know their status. According to IDF, two out of every five women with diabetes are of reproductive age, accounting for over 60 million women worldwide. Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths per year.

“Diabetes has also been recognised as the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths per year. Nigerian women are part of these global statistics and we can reduce the number of such deaths through screening to detect the disease on time before it leads to complications and death.

“Persons with uncontrolled diabetes will develop a wide range of complications linked with the disease, some of which could lead to lengthy hospital stays, blindness, foot amputation or death. We are providing this screening free of charge to mark the World Diabetes Day because early detection of diabetes could save individuals from these complications,” the statement further said.

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