BANJUL 26 NOVEMBER 2018: The Gambia joined the international community in observing World Diabetes Day (WDD), 14 November 2018.  The Day was observed in two separate events. The first leg of the activities was a long walk organized by the Gambia Diabetes Association (GDA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the WHO Country Office, volunteers and civil society organizations, which terminated in a ceremony at the Young Men Christian Association Headquarters.

Speaking on the significance of the Day, Dr. Alieu Gaye, President of the GDA said diabetes is a global public health threat and called for concerted action to stop its spread. He reminded participants to eat healthily by consuming less of saturated fatty foods high energy foods and to eat more fruits and vegetable. He expressed gratitude to the German team for their support as well as for having time every year to come and participated with people in the Gambia. He called for a change in people’s lifestyles as he stated that diabetes is in the increase compared to 10 years ago.

He thanked WHO and MoH and other partners for joining them in observing this important Day and also pledged their organization’s resolve to fighting diabetes with all it takes within their means.

Mr. Momodou Gassama (HPR) read a statement of the WHO Representative, Dr. Desta Tiruneh, which briefly described the history of WDD from 1991 when the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization responded to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. It also reminded the audience that World Diabetes Day is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. He noted that the campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public and political spotlight

Mr. Gassama lamented that the theme for this year’s World Diabetes Day “Family and Diabetes: Diabetes concerns every family”, is apt and will draw global attention drawn to the impact diabetes has on families and the role of family members in supporting prevention, early diagnosis and good management of diabetes. He then touched on the key facts of diabetes as well as how the burden can be reduced. “However, there are no simple solutions to diabetes but coordinated and multi-component intervention can make a significant difference”, he remarked. He encouraged the public to report to any health facility for regular check-ups.

Mr. Gassama, on behalf of the WR, thanked the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Gambia Diabetes Association for organizing this important event and all those who have contributed to making this event a success. He seized the opportunity to reassure partners that World Health Organization and the entire United Nations System, within our comparative advantages, will continue to support the Gambia in reducing the burden of not only diabetes but non-communicable diseases in general.

In launching this important Day, the Deputy Permanent Secretary deputizing for the Hon. Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Isatou Touray  thanked both WHO and partners for the support rendered over the years to prevent and control the diabetes in the control. He highlighted that Diabetes poses a large economic burden on the global health care system and the wider global economy, making it a global public health and development concern..

He expressed his ministry’s commitment to working with partners in this crusade and appealed for more support from all walks of life as diabetes is everyone’s concern.

A representative of patients’ association who had contracted diabetes when she was three year-old and had lived with the disease for over 15 years gave testimony on how she had been living with the disease, and assured everyone that one can control diabetes by living a healthier lifestyle adhering to doctor' s advice, and in order to prevent it she encourage the public to eat healthy, have regular exercise and to report any abnormal signs to the nearest health facility for advice.

At the end of the event, participants had the opportunity to screen freely for blood sugar and blood pressure. Other activities to follow will be community radio sensitization as well as aerobics at the stadium.