KARACHI: Sir Michael Hirst, president of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is of the opinion that Pakistan, like other developing nations in Asia, is in the throes of a diabetes epidemic. Currently housing almost seven million diabetics, the country may soon become overstrained with around 15 million more in the coming decades and the government must take drastic measures to change the lifestyle of its population. These worrying figures were shared at a conference held on Thursday, organised by Sanofi-Aventis, a global healthcare company engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of healthcare solutions, in collaboration with the Diabetic Association of Pakistan (DAP) and the WHO Collaborating Centre.

Sir Hirst, a former member of the British parliament championed the cause after his youngest child was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a very young age.

Speaking from experience, diabetes, he believes, can be a great challenge to all aspects of life, ranging from day to day activities to economies at large. For him, partnership is needed between the governments, people striving to contain the disease, the public as well as the media to introduce healthy lifestyles in societies. This he considers an effective way to contain and control the disease.

The conference brought together delegates from IDF and other globally recognised centres of academic excellence in the USA, Germany and the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. Sir Hirst praised organisers of the conference as well as all those who participated; from experts, to teachers and students.

Calling diabetes a “silent killer” for its ability to develop without exhibiting any symptoms for years, Sir Hirst said Pakistan is part of many agreements which require signatories to reduce avoidable mortality. “All governments should introduce honest policies and educate the masses about the lethal effects of the disease, particularly among children.”

Prof A. Samad Shera, secretary general of the DAP and honorary president of the IDF, said diabetes was an epidemic, which was quickly spreading its tentacles all over the country. He added how almost 80 per cent of diabetic patients were in Asia and the numbers of those present in South Asia were also alarming.

“The negative effects of diabetes are greater in developing countries,” he said, calling upon all stakeholders of society to play their role in containing the disease. He added how treatment should be accessible to all, with particular emphasis to those living in rural areas.

Ayub Siddiqui, managing director at Sanofi-Aventis Pakistan, said his organisation’s mission was to protect health, improve the quality of life and meet the hopes and potential needs of billions of people around the world. “It is our duty to play our role in public health care,” he added.

The organisers also introduced 31-year-old Sana Ajmal, who is suffering from diabetes. She is Pakistan’s ambassador for ‘My diabetes story’, an online programme in which ambassadors from several countries are represented.

Ms Ajmal shared how her sugar level went unnoticed until she fell into a coma for several hours. She was only 15. Insulin saved her life, but despite the diagnosis, she remained “depressed.

It was after I pulled together my confidence and launched a struggle to manage my life through a controlled lifestyle that I became healthier.” Today, she is a mother to two healthy children and has recently completed her PhD.

“If you control diabetes you can do everything you like,” she said.

Sessions were also held in which Prof K.M. Venkat Narayan, professor of global health and epidemiology at the Emory Rollins School of Public Health, Prof Adel Abdel Aziz El-Sayed, chair of the MENA region of the IDF, Prof Richard Kahn, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association, and Prof Peter Schwarz, from the department of Prevention and Care of Diabetes at the Dresden University of Technology, Germany, presented their research on the disease.

The conference was held in Islamabad and Lahore, and was concluded in Karachi.

Published in Dawn March 6th , 2015

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