05 Dec 2018

Maun residents came in large numbers to commemorate the World Diabetes Awareness Day at Shashe Clinic recently.

Guest speaker, Baisago University Campus manager, Mr Lucky Molato said the theme for this year, Family and Diabetes inspired many since it involved families in understanding the importance of their participation and support for diabetes patients in their communities.

Mr Molato encouraged the community to live healthy lives.

‘’Healthy lifestyle is an investment in your future, your family, community and even your country,’’ he said.

Diabetes, he said, came with challenges and costs to families and government.

He noted that government used a lot of money to buy drugs and medications for diabetic patients as well as pay for logistics within and outside the country during patients’ referrals.

Mr Molato said diabetes put a burden on family finances because diabetic patients need special diets.

He encouraged families to support their patients because it was possible to cure the disease if they worked well with the health ministry.

‘’According to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes causes blindness, heart and kidney diseases therefore, we need to be careful with what we do and what we eat,’’ he said.

Mr Molato said it was painful to lose family members to a disease that could be cured, adding that according to the International Diabetes Federation, 80 per cent of type 2 diabetes was preventable through healthy lifestyle such as exercise and eating healthy.

Further, Mr Molato noted that people should get more education on diabetes for the benefit of their communities.

He encouraged residents to eat tswii, fish and koma because they were good for their health.

‘’Batswana should go back to eating traditional food such as mabele, lebelebele and morogo wa Setswana,” stated Mr Molato.

Ms Matshidiso Tlale, who looks after a diabetic patient, said diabetic patients needed love and support from their loved ones.

She encourage the community to accommodate and support diabetic patients and shared that if one of their family member had the disease, there was likelihood that there could be other members with the same condition.

Ngami District Health Management Team family physician, Mr Billy Semelamela said the day was meant to raise awareness, support those living with diabetes as well as engage stakeholders.

Mr Semelamela said the day was started in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and World Health Organization in response to the growing concern about escalating health threat posed by diabetes.

It is commemorated annually on November 14. ENDS