Aggressive strategy needed to tackle diabetes
Members of the Lions Club of Diamond/Grove share a moment with the GPHC Chairperson Kesaundra Alves (centre)
Members of the Lions Club of Diamond/Grove share a moment with the GPHC Chairperson Kesaundra Alves (centre)

-GPHC chair

WITH diabetes cases numbering in the thousands, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Chairperson, Kesaundra Alves has said that an aggressive action plan is needed to tackle the disease.

GPHC Chairperson Kesaundra Alves addresses the gathering at the Ramada Hotel

Diabetes is a disease in which the body’s ability to produce or respond to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood
According to statistics, some 141 million people worldwide are affected by diabetes, with more than 44.3 million recorded in North American and Caribbean countries, a figure which is expected to rise to 60.5 million by 2040.

In 2015, the number of diabetic cases in Guyana stood at 49,800 and the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s country profile of 2016 revealed that most deaths occurred in the 30-69 age range, males 160 and females 180, while those 70 years and above, males less than 100 deaths and females 140.

While there have been many attempts locally to reduce those figures, there is still much work to be done, said Alves at a World Diabetes Day programme, organised by the Lions Club of Diamond/Grove and held at the Ramada Hotel, Providence, on Tuesday.
“World Diabetes Day is being observed globally with the objective of heightening awareness and making more effective interventions to combat this disease which is prevalent at the national, regional and international levels,” the GPHC chairperson said.
Statistics from the Americas revealed that the situation is quite alarming in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

A staff of the Ramada Hotel being given a free optical checkup which was made available by the Lions Club of Diamond/Grove

Those countries reportedly occupy the top positions, out of 54 countries, with regard to the incidence of diabetes and deaths of persons during their working life.
Alves, in making reference to that, said that the local economy will be severely compromised if, on a yearly basis, the human resources dwindle as a consequence of diabetes which can be prevented or better managed if only persons change their lifestyle and work at reducing the risk factors that are attributed to this disease.

“Collectively, you and I have to make a concerted effort to reverse this upward trend, and so I want to compliment the members of the Diamond/Grove Lions Club who have taken this initiative to organise this forum, with a view to educating residents of the surrounding communities on the prevalence of this disease and to apprise them of the numerous ways in which human suffering related to debates and its complications can be alleviated,” said Alves.

She also zeroed in on the theme for World Diabetes Day “Women and diabetes — our right to a healthy future.”
According to her, in Guyana, the statistics reveal that more women than men are affected by the disease and are less able to withstand the burden of the disease.
The third sustainable goal of the United Nations (UN) speaks to the health and well-being of all women and girls.

Alves said the local health systems must be fully responsive to them in the sense of offering high quality, more comprehensive and readily available services.
“As we think of women with diabetes and those prone to the disease, it is important that they have access to essential diabetes medicine and technologies and self-management education and information they need to achieve optimal generations,” she said.

Members of the Lions Club also supported her notion of building and strengthening capacity to place women and girls as a top priority for the Ministry of Public Health.
Alves said the Ministry has been severely challenged with the high incidence of diabetes but [it] has been able, with the emergence of the Guyana Diabetes Care Project, to better address and manage the disease.

The programme is focused on four priority areas, namely: Diabetic retinopathy; Diabetes in pregnancy; The development of a diabetes database at the Ministry of Public Health; and a public awareness component through the Chronic Disease Unit at the Ministry of Public Health.

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2 thoughts on “Aggressive strategy needed to tackle diabetes”

  1. To open my comment on this…. let me begin by EDUCATING alves dat her figure fuh GUYANA mey be correct ,, but the last time i checked the Global population of DIABETICS was 44

    3 MILLION of us ,, and that figure has grown exponentially since then……

    forever ago ,, i advised that HEALTH thru EDUCATION can reduce the HEALTH budget ,, and one of the elements in this area is DIABETES ,, using the print ,, electronic ,, and broad cast media ,, can play a significant role ! when i was in INDIA in 2009 the next year India became the world capital for DIABETICS…. and thru education this killer disease can be……. REVERSED !!

    HOW ?? simple ,, or like the Spanish say….. ” sencillo ” !! EXERCISE and a regimented diet ,, with emphasis on sugar intake ,, and the consumption of ALCOHOL ! and use of tobacco !

    The best for of EXERCISE is WALKING anfor this one MUST have healthy feet ! to the latter my research at the university of HULL gave birth to this “device” that is guaranteed to deliver 3 “distinct benefits” every time it’s used just 5 mins ,, before stepping out of the shower AFTER every shower for “total” care of the feet ,, if you wear a shoe if you don’t them more the reason it need to be a fixture in the bathroom ! here’s a link to this product that has a “patent pending”

    the link……

    https://youtu.be/9RSfMbAYUUo

    i have tried to get the son of my half sister the President’s son-in-law Gaskin ,, and the Prime Minister to have this manufactured in Shenzhen CHINA ,, or TAIWAN ,, where the USD is worth 16 of theirs ,, but because my name is : MICHAEL TANNASSEE an international critic of the IDIOCY of ALL the govts of GUYANA << this is denied even tho ,, it will bring relief to the many thousand who will DIE needlessly because of their RACIST and closed minded ideology at the expense of the NATION !…..

    it is regrettable that ,, that the FEW at the top is thinking only to feather their nests at the expense of so………. MANY

  2. The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million
    in 2014 (1). The global prevalence of diabetes* among adults over 18
    years of age has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014 (1). Diabetes
    prevalence has been rising more rapidly in middle- and low-income
    countries.

    WHO | Diabetes – World Health Organization

    http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/

    Juxtapose this against the figures stated here an see how unprofessional is the “research” skills

    of the person who produced this report an alves is de “chair”… there is more !

    alves come to give an address and in it she tellin dat……..

    -GPHC chair

    WITH diabetes cases numbering in the thousands, Georgetown Public
    Hospital Corporation (GPHC)

    Chairperson, Kesaundra Alves has said that
    an aggressive action plan is needed to tackle the

    disease. so what is de “plan” ????????????????????????????????

    whose idea was it to say this…….

    Diabetes is a disease in which the body’s ability to produce or respond
    to the hormone insulin is impaired, resulting in abnormal metabolism of
    carbohydrates and elevated levels of glucose in the blood…. is this de “aggressive actiom plan” ,, tellin the ordinary disease affected person all this dat many doan know NUTTEN about !

    According to statistics, some 141 million people worldwide are affected
    by diabetes, with more than 44.3 million recorded in North American and
    Caribbean countries, a figure which is expected to rise to 60.5 million
    by 2040.

    nothing in the above is CORRECT……. here’s the FACT an figures !

    The number of people with diabetes has risen from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million
    in 2014 (1). The global prevalence of diabetes* among adults over 18
    years of age has risen from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014 (1). Diabetes
    prevalence has been rising more rapidly in middle- and low-income
    countries.

    de whole of this article ,, is a load of convoluted CRAP !…..

    an whomever is the person who decided dat de “chair” shoul be the speaker to present this ,, need to have dem head examined bcaz neither of the two doan know dem A$$ fum dem elbow !

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