World Health Day and Diabetes in Nigeria

April 7, 2016 - PRLog -- April 7, is marked as World Health Day worldwide.  World Health Day shares the date with the establishment of WHO (World Health Organization), the international organization that is concerned with the health of people worldwide. Events and activities are held across the world on this day to draw attention towards global health issues.

The theme of 2016 World Health day is "Diabetes: Scale up prevention, strengthen care, and enhance surveillance".

Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic disorder and has assumed pandemic proportions worldwide. The burden of the disease affects developing countries much more than their developed counterparts.

Burden of Diabetes in Nigeria

Nigeria holds an important place in the African region. It is the most populous country, 158 million in number and accounts for one sixth of Africa's population.

Here's a quick look at the diabetes situation in Nigeria:

DIABETES IN NIGERIA - 2015

Total adult population (1000s) (20-79 years)  - 82,869

Number of deaths in adults due to diabetes - 40,815

Prevalence of diabetes in adults (20-79 years) (%) - 1.9

Cost per person with diabetes (USD) - 212.3
Total cases of adults (20-79 years) with diabetes (1000s) - 1,564.7

Number of cases of diabetes in adults that are undiagnosed (1000s) - 949.9

The health care system in Nigeria, already under immense pressure due to poor healthcare facilities and lack of insurance coverage, has come under further pressure due to the disease and co-morbidities associated with it.

It is thus highly important to create and spread awareness about the disease and its prevention. 90% of the diabetics suffer from Diabetes type 2 which is because of poor eating habits and obesity and can thus be prevented.  Expert's world over agree that simple measures such as 35 min of exercise everyday and healthy eating habits can prevent or postpone diabetes.

"Creating awareness about the disease and preventing it is the need of the hour.  We have pledged to support the cause and expect our clients and well wishers in Nigeria to do the same", says Dr. Ruchika from IndiCure, a medical tourism agency having treated a number of patients from Nigeria with great success. For more details, visit - http://indicure.com.ng/