(MENAFN-Khaleej Times)
The ‘diabetes explosion’ in the uae is not due to poor health services but because of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle of residents coupled with the social and economic development in the country said a senior health official.
While outlining the uae ministry of health’s strategic plan for 2013-2016 on non-communicable diseases (ncds) dr yousef al serkal assistant undersecretary for hospitals said that the uae was following the world health organisation’s (who) recommendations on controlling ncds including diabetes.
“having foods with high percentage of sugars fats starches less fruits and vegetables physical inactivity obesity and tobacco usage are all contributing factors for spread of the disease which is also connected to several behavioural and genetic factors” he said while outlining the ministry’s efforts in combating the lifestyle disorder. “unfortunately several gcc and arab countries face this problem...but the disease is not connected to weak health services provided by the ministry but rather to the economic and social development of any country” he explained.
Giving a background of health services dr serkal said the country had made great efforts in social economic and health development. “such development has had a direct impact on the life expectancy of individuals that has improved to 79 years.”
“incidence of death is 8/1000 in children while a number of infectious diseases have been eliminated. this progress has put the uae within the advanced countries’ categories” he said.
According to international diabetes foundation (idf) statistics 18.98 per cent people in the uae suffer from diabetes whereas the total cost of diabetes treatment ranges between $1500 and $3000 per year (dh360 million). recently the uae’s diabetes ranking has improved from the third highest in the world to the 15th.
“the ministry is continuously supervising the status of the disease and has conducted major research studies in this regard” he said.
“we have also organised a number of awareness campaigns and are keeping an eye on new case diseases emerging in the records of health centres and other health authorities.”
“we have also adopted a strategy to control diabetes ways of prevention from diabetes (type 2) improve health services quality support all evaluation diabetes process and means encourage research and studies that are related to diabetes and enable patients to control their quality services” explained dr serkal.
He said the ministry will continue to build an updated database on ncds and establish a national record for such diseases.
Asmaalizain?khaleejtimes.com
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