A consultant physician at Gozo General Hospital has warned that people seem to be accepting diabetes rather than seeking to prevent or treat it.
Dr Robert Sciberras was speaking at a forum for healthcare professionals hosted by Vivian Corporation, which has complted a study on diabetes in Gozo.
"We have a very serious situation here, that diabetes is so common that people are no longer afraid of it. Similar to diabetes, we have the issue of child obesity which has reached very urgent levels across Malta and Gozo. People need to understand that obesity too may lead to diabetes and that today's obesity will translate into future problems," Dr Sciberras said.
The diabetes study, Accu-check was held in collaboration with Gozo General Hospital and community pharmacies to gauge the extent of the condition and raise awareness about it.
In a statement, Vivian Corporation said pharmacists had reported a general increase in the number of queries on diabetes and blood glucose monitoring suggesting that the objective of creating awareness on the condition and changing attitudes to a positive outlook to diabetes has been achieved since the campaign's onset in September 2011.
The results of the study were presented by Yan Grima, Product Specialist at Vivian Corporation.
He said that 808 blood glucose tests were carried out in total during Phase 1 and Phase 2, 221 of which were fasting test and 587 were random (non fasting). 30% of fasting tests were above 5.6mmol/L (recommended blood glucose level in fasting conditions) whilst 14% of random rests were above 8.0mmol/L (recommended blood glucose in random conditions).
Participants in the forum argued that there is an urgent need for a structural educational support system that informs children from a very young age about the importance of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle in general.
It was also noted that there may be a lack of services, such as psychologists for the newly diagnosed patients. The need for a functional multi-disciplinary team is essential to guide people on how to live with diabetes with a positive outlook to their condition.
"The message that we want to put across is very clear and straightforward," said Yan Grima, product specialist at Vivian Corporation (picture). Blood glucose monitoring is the key for the prevention and management of diabetes, a condition which does not only affect the individual's lifestyle but also those around them. No one can pretend that the risk is not there. Knowing is the best way to safeguard one's future without complications."
"We are witnessing alarming figures in diabetes... some 10% of the population suffers from diabetes. Apart from the effect diabetes has on one's life, the economic burden of healthcare costs should also be taken into consideration. The WHO reports that diabetes care, costs 2.5-15% of the total direct health care expenditure.