The Ministry of Health and Social Services, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), commemorated World Diabetes Day on Tuesday at a ceremony held at Windhoek Central Hospital.
World Diabetes Day is an annual event celebrated by the international community on 14 November to raise awareness of the growing burden of this disease and strategies to prevent and treat it.
This year’s theme is “Access to Diabetes Care,” which is a multi-year worldwide theme for 2021-2023, and it speaks to various dialogues Namibia has concerning continuously increasing access to health services related to Diabetes care for all.
Speaking at the occasion, Deputy Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Esther Muinjangue, said that the event creates an opportunity to raise awareness about the impact of diabetes on the health of people. She highlit the importance of prevention, early and timely detection and treatment in both public and private spaces.
She further said: “Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death among Namibian people, and this poses devastating health and socio-economic consequences for individuals, families, and communities, as well as threatens to overwhelm the healthcare system; hence the need for strategic interventions from all sectors, all individuals, business communities, Ministries, Agencies and Offices to eliminate stigma and discrimination as well as accelerate the reduction of illnesses and deaths due to Diabetes.”
Dr Muinjangue stated that people living with Diabetes mellitus or other chronic conditions are more likely to have poor infectious disease outcomes, like slow recovery from infectious disorders, faster disease progression, and eventually death, as compared to those who do not have co-morbidities. As a result, controlling Diabetes and other diseases is critical to reducing this likelihood, she said.
According to available statistics, roughly 7% of Namibian adults have a degree of diabetes, with an estimated 90,000 people living with the condition.
“There are some myths associated with Diabetes, and being overweight should not be seen as a sign of good living but as a risk factor. Again, eating too many sugary products does not directly cause one to suffer from Diabetes, however, it should be noted that it can increase your risk of acquiring Diabetes. Diabetes does not discriminate; it affects all, poor or rich, adults as well as children and babies,” according to Dr Muinjangue.
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