With about 415 million people affected by diabetes and more than 14 million of them in sub-sahara Africa, arrangement has been concluded by the Federal Government, the Civil Society Organisation and other health experts to meet on Diabetes and other Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) in Abuja.
The meeting slated for Wednesday and Tuesday is being organised by the Federal Ministry of Health, Strategies for Improving Diabetes Care in Nigeria (SIDCAIN) and the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF).
Over 100 delegates would converge to discuss and share ideas on how to reduce the prevalence of Non- communicable diseases especially Diabetes in Nigeria.
Available report indicated that about 415 million people have diabetes and more than 14 million of them live in sub-sahara Africa, while by 2040 these figure will be more than double.
There were more than 1.56 million cases of diabetes in Nigeria in 2015, according to the International Diabetes Foundation.
The Director, Non Communicable Diseases, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Nnenna Ezekgwe said that Diabetes is one of the major public health challenges of the 21st Century.
She said “by bringing many key partners together, we hope to foster more cooperation and synergies between the people and projects fighting diabetes and other NCDs in Nigeria.”
On 23rd August, the meeting would focus more on sharing experience from World Diabetes Foundation which has been funding projects to improve diabetes prevention awareness and care in Nigeria since 2008.
The Managing Director, World Diabetes Foundation, Dr Anders Dejgaard said the meeting would encourage networking and action between the World Diabetes Foundation project and other stakeholders in the health sector.
The Principal Investigator, Strategies for Improving Diabetes Care in Nigeria, Prof Alebiosu Christopher Olutayo stated that for the past nine years, his organisation has been raising awareness on the need to improve diabetes care in Nigeria.
0n 24th August, the delegate would deliberate of the status of Non-Communicable Diseases care in Nigeria as well as strategies for realising the goal of Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan of Action on prevention and control of Non- Communicable Diseases.
and then