By Felicia Imohimi
Abuja, – Mr Elijah Mohammed, the Registrar, Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN), on Tuesday identified education as a key preventive measure against diabetes.
Mohammed made the assertion at the annual scientific conference of the Association of Hospital and Administrative Pharmacists of Nigeria (AHAPN), National Hospital, Abuja chapter.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that theme of the conference is: ”Evolving Insights into the Pharmaceutical Care of Diabetes Mellitus’’.
Mohammed, represented by Mr Peter Iliya, the council Head of Public Relations Department, decried the prevalence of diabetes in the country, attributing it to lack of awareness on its causes and prevention.
The registrar also identified some factors that could predispose one to diabetes as diet, sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, family history, among others.
He said that if the populace could eat right and engage in regular exercise, the prevalence would be reduced remarkably.
Mohammed urged pharmacists, among other care givers, to step up diabetes awareness creation, with emphasis on diet, exercise and risk factors.
“We do not have to wait until patients present a case in the hospital and then we start managing.
“All healthcare providers should step up awareness on diabetes and ensure such information is in the public domain. Management of diabetes is a team work.
“It involves the pharmacists, doctors, diabetes experts, dieticians, nutritionists and nurses; they all need to work together and make positive impact on the life of the patient.
“As a regulatory body, we will continue to ensure that sufferers get quality care in terms of medications and after care,” Mohammed said.
In her remarks, Prof. Felicia Anumah, a Professor of Endocrinology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, said that diabetes had become an epidemic in the country due to change in lifestyle.
According to her, the prevalence of the disease in urban and rural areas is between 15 per cent and one per cent respectively.
Anumah said that the kind of life people live in urban centres was responsible for the higher percentage of the disease.
She advised the populace to reduce the consumption of refined sugar, convenient food and consume more of vegetables and fruits.
“This will guarantee healthy living and as well reduce prevalence of diabetes in the country.
“People are not ready to hear what health professionals have to say to prevent them from diseases; they will rather have it and battle with the consequences.
“Nigerians should desire to get empowered and know what to do to prevent diseases like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, among others,” Anumah said.
Earlier, Mr Makoshi Yabo, the Chairman, AHAPN, said that pharmacists needed to show more care centred on responsible provision of drug therapy to achieve and maintain quality life.
Yabo, who described diabetes as one of the biggest global health crisis in the 21st Century, said that it could be fully managed, especially when detected early. (NAN)