Prevention before cure

Diabetes is a part of a larger global epidemic of non- communicable diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes is amongst the top ten common leading causes of death. This disease affects 6.6 percent (285 million people) of the world’s population in the 20-79 years age group. Pakistan is home to 7.1 million people with diabetes. It is of two types; Type-1 diabetes which occurs at the young age and can’t be prevented and Type-2 diabetes which is most common and is preventable. The most common cause of Type-2 diabetes is obesity. If anyone feels symptoms like frequent urination, unusual thirst and excessive hunger, the person must visit doctor at the earliest.

Since prevention is better than cure, people should take care of themselves and follow the following measures to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They should do exercises on a daily basis and must follow the diet plan tailored for people with diabetes. The government should start the National Diabetes Control Programme to raise awareness among the people. It should implement policies to promote physical activities. The private and public hospitals should come together to fight the diseases. Proper channels should be established for provision of healthy foods and low-cost medicines for treatment.

Dr Abdul Fatah ( Hyderabad )