THATTA: Health exp-erts at a seminar on diabetes have lamented that diabetes’ prevalence is quite high in Pakistan with every fourth Pakistani suffering from the disease, according to statistics compiled by the International Diabetes Federation.

Prof Dr Shabeen Naz Masood, a member of the Health Research Advisory Board of Pakistan, and Ms Erum Ghafoor, consultant diabetes educator, said at a one-day seminar on Dilemma in screening, diagnosis, management of diabetes in pregnancy and importance of diabetes registry organised by Zainab General Hospital in Makli here the other day, that globally, one in six children were born with diabetes.

Dr Masood shared her expertise in blood glucose screening strategies, insulin storage and injection methods and Ms Ghafoor delved into latest advancements in medical practice, focusing on insulin pump technologies, management of insulin pump protocols, coaching and communication skills methodologies for people with diabetes, appropriate injection techniques and its storage.

They emphasised innovative strategies aimed at optimising diabetes management outcomes, recognising the global epidemic of diabetes and the need for novel approaches to combat it.

They said that the IDF figures represented a substantial portion of the country’s population. However, specific ratios might vary depending on the source and methodology of data collection, nonetheless, it was evident that diabetes posed a significant health challenge in Pakistan, requiring concerted efforts for its prevention, early detection, and management, they said.

They said that the seminar served as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration in the field of diabetes management and excha-nged ideas with the participants on how to address multifaceted challenges posed by diabetes.

They vowed serve poverty-ridden population of the tail-end twin districts of Thatta and Sujawal in coordination with Zainab General Hospital and provide them free of cost treatment and medicines once a month.

Dr Almas Fatima, Dr Safdar Abbas, Iqbal Khwaja, Dr Sadia and Ajay Kumar also spoke at the seminar.

Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2024