BAUCHI – The Bauchi State Chapter, Diabetic Association of Nigeria (DAN), has concluded plans to conduct free diabetic tests in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.
Mrs Mary Illiya, State Chairperson of the association, announced the plan on Saturday in Bauchi, while delivering a speech to mark the World Diabetic Day.
Illiya said that members of the association, in conjunction with laboratory scientists and other experts, would soon embark on the spot tests and a sensitization campaign to enable the rural populace know their diabetic status.
She called the State Government and and corporate organisations to assist the association with finance and other facilities, to enable it carry out the campaign.
The chairperson noted with happiness the drop in the number of cases of diabetics recorded in the state.
She said that the association’s 2014 diabetic day mass walk-out exercise was cancelled due to the security situation in the country.
Dr Bathnna Sule, a Consultant of with the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, had earlier said that records reveal that over 397 million persons out of the world population of seven billion persons were living with diabetics.
Sule emphasised that 715 people out of the figure were not aware of their status, while 21million children died of diabetes, especially children delivered outside health facilities.
He said that 80 per cent of the world population said to be living with diabetes were in developing countries and the disease was prevalence within the age bracket of 40 and 59 years.
Sule called on the government and policy formulators to evolve laws to contain the spread of the ailment and to provided adequate care for the patients.
He also called on the government to abolish tariff on the importation of diabetic drugs, to reduce the cost and to harmonise the treatment of diabetics into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), to reduce the burden being faced by patients.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that, the Chief Medical Director, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Dr Jibrin Yusuf , and Sen. Babayo Gamawa, were presented with awards for assisting the association.
Dr Bathnna Sule of the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, Pioneer Chief Medical Director of ATBUTH, Dr Mohammed Alkali, as well as the Managements of Keystone Bank and MEGALIFE Pharmaceutical company, were also honoured by the association. (NAN)
Bauchi Chapter of Diabetic association plans to conduct free diabetic tests in 20 LGAs
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