KARACHI: The University of Karachi has decided to screen its hundreds of faculty members and employees for diabetes in a move to prevent and control spread of the disease through awareness of the complications and difficulties it creates for human health.

A statement issued by the university said it had reached an agreement with the Discovering Diabetes, an anti-diabetes initiative by pharmaceutical firm PharmEvo, that would facilitate awareness and provide resources to test risk assessment of employees and students, including sugar screening for high-risk patients, body mass index (BMI) test, blood pressure measurement and impart diet education for the diabetic patients.

KU inks pact for awareness of risks, prevention of diabetes

It would also facilitate executive check-ups by renowned diabetologists to faculty members on a regular basis to ensure their health besides help in creating awareness regarding precautionary measures necessary to prevent the spread of the diabetes in society.

University Vice Chancellor Dr Khalid Iraqi deplored that despite knowing the complications of the diabetes, a large number of people were not ready to change their lifestyle and get themselves diagnosed, saying that the number of undiagnosed diabetics was in millions in Pakistan.

“There is a need to create awareness about diabetes and its complications. If a person becomes diabetic, he or she would need a sizeable amount of their monthly income to control the disease; people should listen to health experts before it becomes too late,” he said.

PharmEvo chief executive officer Jamshed Ahmed stated that the increasing number of diabetics in the Asian region, especially in Pakistan, had put the health sector in trouble and one of the reasons for the rapid growth of that disease was a lack of awareness.

“The students who are studying on the campus can be the best source of awareness. The recent data has revealed that if any part below the knee of a diabetic patient is amputated, he/she would die in three to five years,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2022