WITH some 61,800 persons in Guyana diagnosed with diabetes as of 2014, the Ministry of Public Health says stronger attention will be paid to raising awareness of prevention among the youth and adult populations.The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has reported that the 61,800 persons, an increase from the 60,100 affected in 2013, are between ages 20-79.
It also estimated that some 15,400 persons are unaware that they have the disease and 1,025 persons died from it last year. Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in Guyana.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Karen Cummings told the Guyana Chronicle that the disease is a silent killer and key in addressing it is inculcating the importance of exercise and eating healthy in adolescents.
The majority of products in the supermarkets and stores, be it the soft drinks, the biscuits, and other eatables, are high in sugar content.

Regular consumption of foods high in sugar content, coupled with lack of exercise, make persons vulnerable to diabetes.
Minister Cummings said the public schools will be brought under the Ministry’s radar in its bid to address this problem.
“We want to target our schools, childhood obesity is also on the rise, persons are no longer exercising and eating healthy, they rely on fast foods and we have to change this sort of lifestyle,” she said.
CHANGE IN LIFESTYLES
Diabetes, Dr Cumming said, is a non-communicable disease and is preventable, but it requires a change in lifestyles of persons.
“It has to be attacked from all fronts in terms of education and educating parents as well because they are the ones who give their children the money to buy a fast food or Coke,” she said.
The Government intends to extend the pilot School Feeding Programme in Regions 1, 7, 8, 9 to the coastland, targeting the most vulnerable.
Hot meal
“We want to provide a hot meal for them. It is going to be a balanced meal. We are encouraging education. We want parents to read the labels of the foods in the supermarkets they buy. And importantly, we want to encourage them to consume local fruits and vegetables whether from their gardens or the markets,” Dr Cummings said.
She added: “We want Guyanese to enjoy longevity because there is no sense you acquire a huge amount of wealth and you cannot enjoy it. So we have to inculcate the healthy habits in schoolchildren, parents and teachers. We have to work as a team to collectively address this scourge.”
The Public Health Minister said a majority of the 1,025 persons who died last year probably succumbed to the complications of the disease.
There are two common types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. The risk factors for Type 1 Diabetes are still being researched, but a person having a family member with Type 1 Diabetes slightly increases the risk of developing the disease.
The IDF noted that exposure to some viral infections have also been linked to the risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes has been linked to a number of factors, including family history, overweight, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and high blood pressure.
The Federation says persons with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing a number of serious health problems.
Regular high blood glucose levels, it said, can lead to serious diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nerves and teeth. People with diabetes also have a higher risk of developing infections, and it can cause cardiovascular disease, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation.
A preliminary report from the 2012 national census has indicated that Guyana’s population is some 748,000, and about 433,000 are between ages 20-79.
HEALTH PROMOTION
And given the fact that 61, 800 persons are affected with diabetes, Dr Cummings said a huge focus will be placed on health promotion and disease prevention.
“So we are going to stress on primary care, whereby the first contact with the patients, we are going to speak to them, of course we are going to improve our health literacy because patients do not know what tablets they are taking and why they need to take them. We are going to improve the patient-doctor relationship so that they can know about the disease. I find that the average person do not know about diabetes and what it can do to them,” Dr Cummings said.
She also noted that many persons with diabetes do not rigidly adhere to their treatment.
The Minister told this publication that the importance of patients taking their medication and the adverse condition if they don’t will be strongly impressed upon them.
And aside from this, greater attention will be placed on testing and treatment, not only for diabetes, but the other non-communicable diseases at the public health centres and hospitals.
The Diabetic Clinic and Diabetic Foot Centre at the Georgetown Public Hospitals treat persons with advance complications.
According to the IDF, on average, a person that has diabetes in Guyana spends about US$372 on treatment, and in 2014, more was spent on healthcare for diabetes in North America and the Caribbean than in any other region.
The Federation has also reported that some 387 million people have diabetes, and by 2035, this figure is expected to rise to 592 million.
It also noted that the number of people with Type 2 Diabetes is increasing in every country; 77 per cent of people with diabetes live in low-and middle-income countries; the greatest number of people with diabetes are between 40 and 59 years of age; 179 million people with diabetes are undiagnosed; diabetes caused 4.9 million deaths in 2014; and every 7 seconds a person dies from diabetes.

By Tajeram Mohabir