Second phase of anti-diabetes campaign launched

BY PMA RASHEED

20 May 2010, The Gulf Today

The National Diabetes Prevention Committee under the UAE Ministry of Health (MoH) has launched on Wednesday the second phase of the anti-diabetes campaign with various activities involving shopping malls, organisations and commercial establishments across the seven Emirates in the country.

The second phase of the MoH’s anti-diabetes drive includes conducting free blood sugar tests to the general public, in addition to other education sessions as well as distribution of health education materials, according to a senior MoH member.

Dr Mahmood Fikri, Executive Director for Health Policies at the MoH and Chairman of National Diabetes Prevention Committee, said that the drive aims at enhancing the prevention of diabetes, and its contractions as well as the introduction to the national campaign that will end on Nov 14.

“The campaign will continue throughout the forthcoming months in a number of shopping malls, public and private departments all over the UAE,” he added. “Since the launch of the campaign coinciding with the World Diabetes Day to fight diabetes our activities witnessed very positive response from a number of health organisations and this encouraged us to make greater efforts in increasing our diabetes plans and strategies,” he noted.

According to Dr Fikri, the campaign does not depend on early detection programmes only.

“It includes lectures and seminars to be conducted at the premises of participating companies, organistions and public places. The campaign also aims to ratify and record updated information about the situation diabetes in the UAE,” he said.

The comprehensive data could be used in hospitals, healthcare centres and clinics across the UAE, said Dr Fikri.