ISLAMABAD: Health experts have called for devising a national action plan to prevent and treat all non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, and bind provincial governments and other stakeholders to it.

The cost of medicines for diabetes should also be reduced by 25pc and free supply of these drugs ensured in all district headquarters hospitals.

These views were expressed by leading health experts including Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) President Dr Khubaib Shahid, Prof Hafiz Ijaz Ahmad (Lahore), Dr Shabbir Ahmad, Dr Iftikhar Burney (Islamabad), Prof Abdullah Muttaqi (Karachi), Prof Fasih Ahmad Hashmi (Hyderabad), Prof Gulshan Hussain Farooqi (Swat), Prof Mohammad Tayab (Peshawar), Dr Sarwar Badini (Quetta), Dr Abdul Rehman (Bhimber) and others while addressing awareness and screening programmes across the country on World Diabetes Day on Sunday.

These programmes were arranged by PIMA for the public at over 100 places, which were attended by people from various walks of life.

The experts urged people to effectively control diabetes through a balanced diet, regular exercise and medication. They said diabetes was not only fatal in terms of consequences but also caused many other ailments like heart, kidney and eye diseases.

They also demanded the government to make children aware of the importance of healthy living, healthy diet, dental hygiene and all kinds of dangers like smoking and drug use through the primary education curriculum in order to prevent future generations from getting affected by these diseases and disabilities.

They also suggested that the government should increase tax on artificial sweeteners and spend its revenue on increasing treatment facilities.

The experts said paramedical staff should be properly trained to bandage wounds of diabetics to save people from disability as a result of amputation.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2021