Nigerian Diabetes specialist Dr Barbara Akinbowa has blamed the overconsumption of processed foods in the name of westernisation as the major cause of diabetes apart from hereditary factors and called for revitalization of abandoned African traditional foods.
According to her, the African Continent has been projected to record the highest cases of diabetes between 2040 and 2050 across the globe ahead of Europe and America who currently top the chat.
Dr Barbara Akinbowa gave the statistics during a program organized by Society of Family Physicians, Nigerian Medical Association and Medical Women’s Association to commemorate the World Diabetes Day for Pensioners in Makurdi, Benue State, North Central Nigeria.
Dr Akinbowa stated that the statistics by the International Diabetes Federation also places 7 in every 10 people over the age of 70 as diabetes patients globally.
She expressed concern that the African heath system not as robust as that of the west may be overwhelmed if measures are not taken to avert the situation.
“We need to create more awareness, we need to educate our people about this impending danger so that we don’t fall victim”, says Dr Akinbowa.
On his part, Benue State Chairman of Nigerian Medical Association NMA, Dr Usha Anenga told Journalists that the event was to create more awareness on diabetes, to administer free medical treatment and to donate free testing kits to the retirees to enable them plan their diets.The chairman explained that, the exercise is necessary considering the dangers associated with diabetes, adding that it is also very expensive in both management and treatment.
“The retirees were chosen for this gesture because they are more vulnerable to diabetes which sometimes come after retirement when resources are scarce, when social network is reduced and it becomes very difficult to cater for their condition”.
The NMA Chairman encouraged regular exercise and warned against sedentary lifestyle and overconsumption of alcohol as risk factors that predisposes many people to diabetes.
He cautioned against the use of herbal remedies for the treatment of diabetes and urged the patience to stick to their drugs and monitor their health statistics especially weight loss, dieting and increase in physical activities.
In his remarks, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Pensioners in Benue State, Mr Michael Vembe appealed to the state government to place pensioners suffering from diabetes and hypertension in the state on free medical treatment.
Vembe who commended the organizers of the program recalled that about 350 retirees were benefiting from the free medical outreach and called for extension of the program to the 3 Senatorial Districts of the state so that more Pensioners could benefit from it.
A retiree, Mr Agishi Benjamin who has lived with diabetes for 19 years told Voice of Nigeria in an interview that dieting and medication have sustained him.
He explained that, “diabetes is a killer disease but it kills you faster depending on the way you manage it”.
Hauwa M.
