Expert physicians urged increasing awareness to lower the risk of developing diabetes and suffering the risk of health complications at a discussion meeting to observe World Diabetes Day on Monday.
“There are approximately 13.1 million diabetic patients in Bangladesh, and the number will be 22.2 million by 2045 as mentioned by The International Diabetes Federation (IDF),” Bangladesh Diabetes Samity (BADAS) President Prof AK Azad Khan said at the event.
Denmark-based pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk arranged the meeting to create awareness of Type 1 diabetes under the Changing Diabetes in Children (CDiC) programme, held at BIRDEM General Hospital 2 (Mother and Child) in the capital, read a press release.
ALSO READ — Over 500m adults living with diabetes globally
“Most people do not know they have diabetes, and this puts them at increased risk of life-threatening complications. We should promote more awareness of the disease,” Prof AK Azad Khan added.
The theme for World Diabetes Day 2022 is “education to protect tomorrow”. Earlier on Monday morning, there was a national-level roadshow at BIRDEM where specialists in diabetes management echoed the importance of awareness and education to fight diabetes.
Novo Nordisk is also one of the co-sponsors of the day-long national-level events of BADAS.
BIRDEM Director-General Prof Qayyum Chowdhury and Academic Director Prof Faruque Pathan jointly inaugurated the programme.
Denmark Ambassador to Bangladesh Winnie Estrup Petersen, BADAS Public Relations Director Farid Kabir, Novo Nordisk Vice President and General Manager Rajarshi Dey Sarkar, NCDC Line Director Dr Md Robed Amin, BADAS General Secretary Md Sayef Uddin, and CDiC consultant coordinator Dr Bedowra Zabeen were also present on the occasion.
