KARACHI: Around 53 percent people were found to be diabetics in Pakistan when over 21,729 people were screened for the lifestyle disease during last one year and of them, 11,500 were found to be suffering from type-2 diabetes, healthcare experts associated with Discovering Diabetes (DD) project revealed on Sunday.
“As many as 21,729 people were tracked in the country through Discovering Diabetes helpline during last one year, who were screened and of them 11,500 were found to be suffering from type-2 diabetes. Of them, 8,255 patients have so far been connected with the healthcare professionals at the 200 Discovering Diabetes Clinics functioning throughout the country for the treatment,” Abdus Samad, Director of the Discovering Diabetes (DD) told newsmen in Karachi.
Launched in 2021 in collaboration with Pakistan Endocrine Society (PES) and local pharmaceutical firm Pharmevo, the Discovering Diabetes (DDP) Project is aimed at reaching out to over 10 million diabetics in Pakistan who are still undiagnosed and due to complications of the disease facing severe complications including amputations, renal failure, heart attack, mental health issues and other problems.
As per the second annual report of Discovering Diabetes (DD) Project, which was presented at the 9th Mid-Summer Endocrine Updates conference of the Pakistan Endocrine Society (PES) concluded yesterday in Bhorbhan, Abdus Samad said hundreds of thousands of prediabetics who called on DD helpline were advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle to delay or avoid onset of the diabetes.
Abdus Samad maintained that since the launch of Discovering Diabetes project in 2021, around 5 million people have been approached by them through medical camps, special awareness campaigns, print and electronic media, as well as, social media and added that they were planning to continue their quest of undiagnosed diabetics to put them on treatment.
The DD project lead said in addition to their toll-free helpline 0800-66766 for the diabetes awareness and assistance, they were having collaborations with Universities throughout the country to track and trace missing diabetics, create awareness and were using all means of the communication to urge people to adopt healthy lifestyle.
Renowned diabetologist Dr Abbas Raza in his message lauded the efforts by Discovering Diabetes team for the collection of valuable data as well as connecting the patients with healthcare facilities for the treatment and urged other players in the pharmaceutical industry to come forward and support or initiate such projects.
“Support of the pharmaceutical industry is crucial in getting the real data and finding the missing millions of diabetics in Pakistan. I would also urge for collaborative efforts in the field of diabetes as a lot of organizations are working for the collection of data and there is a chance of overlapping of data”, he said and called for creating awareness among people who are living at the risk of contracting diabetes in Pakistan.
President of Pakistan Endocrine Society (PES) Dr Ibrar Ahmed said in a country with over 33 million diabetics and highest prevalence of diabetes, only doctors could not tackle the epidemic of diabetes in Pakistan, adding that partnerships between health associations and pharmaceutical industry could change the landscape of diabetes in Pakistan.
“Pakistan Endocrine Society (PES) had launched a pilot project in Mardan where people at risk of diabetes were being screened and, in this regard, we got the financial support from the Pharmevo. Now we are moving to Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Azad Kashmir, where five such centres would be established and people would be screened for the diabetes”, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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