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World Diabetes Day

Diabetes: A deadly disease

Muhammad Abdul Mazid
14 Nov 2021 00:00:00 | Update: 14 Nov 2021 01:03:29
Diabetes: A deadly disease

International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat of diabetes as an imminent epidemic introduced World Diabetes Day (WDD) in 1991 which is celebrated every year on November 14. The day engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225 proposed by Bangladesh. Bangladesh Diabetic Samity (BADAS) is backed by the government of Bangladesh and became instrumental in campaigning for this resolution to draw attention to issues of paramount importance to the disease of diabetes and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight.

The WDD logo was also adopted in 2007 to mark the passage of the United Nations World Diabetes Day Resolution. The logo is the blue circle - the global symbol for diabetes which was developed as part of the Unite for Diabetes awareness campaign. The significance of the blue circle symbol is overwhelmingly positive, portraying the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic. Across cultures, the circle symbolizes life and health. The colour blue reflects the sky that unites all nations and is the colour of the United Nations flag.

Each year World Diabetes Day is centered on a theme related to diabetes. Topics covered in the past have included diabetes and human rights, diabetes and lifestyle, and the costs of diabetes. This year sees the second of a five-year campaign that will address the growing need for diabetes education and prevention programmes. The campaign slogan for 2021 is ‘Access to Diabetes care –If not now, when?.

The day itself is celebrated on November 14, to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, first conceived the idea which led to the discovery of insulin in 1921. WDD is celebrated worldwide by the over 200 member associations of the International Diabetes Federation in more than 160 countries and territories, all Member States of the United Nations, as well as by other associations and organizations, companies, healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes and their families.

Diabetes a group of metabolic diseases, clinically known as Diabetes mellitus, in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced. Glucose is vital to human health because it’s the main source of energy for the cells that make up muscles and tissues and that is why it is the main source of fuel of the body. This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms frequent urination, increased thirst and increased hunger. If anyone has diabetes, no matter of what type, it means he has too much glucose in his blood. Although the reasons may differ much glucose will invariably lead to serious health problems.

The Bangladesh Diabetic Samity (BADAS), established in 1956 with the initiative of the late National Professor Dr M Ibrahim (1911-1989), has a declared motto – look after all people with diabetes irrespective of their ability to pay, status or other factors. BADAS has developed several institutions/projects and inspired a large number of affiliated associations all over the country to fulfill the mission. BADAS is self-reliant and not donor dependent. BADAS is the pioneer, model and first success story of Public Private Partnership (PPP) development in Bangladesh, it has developed infrastructure through partnerships with the government. BADAS provides services to the affluent and to people who don’t have diabetes through a policy of cross-financing, and then help those living with diabetes with the surplus capital that it generates.

BIRDEM (Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders) is the central institute of BADAS which provides comprehensive diabetic healthcare to the people. It is a unique creation of the BADAS and has been acclaimed as a model institution in Asia and the Pacific. The institute has 650 in-patient beds and also a large out-patient programme. BIRDEM has about 0.4 million registered diabetic patients, more than 4,000 people visit every day here and out of these patients 75-100 are new patients. In review of this influx of patients treated every day, BIRDEM has been adjudged as a unique and successful health service provider across the globe.

BADAS adopted a decentralized model and has spread care throughout the country. There are 63 affiliated units, almost one in every district and nine sub affiliated associations in the sub districts of Bangladesh. They are all affiliated to the BADAS. They have to follow certain standards - they must be democratic, transparent, must be run by social workers, and must be not-for-profit. In that BADAS has been able to create comparatively excellent diabetes awareness. Bangladesh is a developing country, but in terms of awareness of diabetes the country is far ahead of some developed countries. Here people in general are aware of the need to act to soften the possible impact of the diabetes epidemic

BADAS is more than a typical diabetes association. Usually the main task of other diabetic associations is ‘advocacy’ and they work as a pressure group for the policy makers and heath care providers in addition to creating awareness among people. In contrast, apart from its role in advocacy and awareness, BADAS (and its affiliates) is the major provider of diabetes care in Bangladesh and, in fact, the largest overall comprehensive health care provider in the country next to the public sectors. At the moment BADAS is looking after about 24 per cent of all people with diabetes in Bangladesh and hopefully it will cover 50 per cent by 2020. BADAS is within close proximity with government health services in making them aware of the need for high quality diabetes care. BADAS is ensuring that diabetes and endocrinology are included in the courses taught at medical colleges, it has successfully convinced the ministry of health to create posts for endocrinologists in public medical colleges.

Research is another area where BADAS puts great emphasis on and this is unlike many other associations particularly in developing countries. Research is a tool for generation of context-based knowledge and also generation of skilled manpower. Recognising the contribution of BADAS in this sector, in 1982 the World Health Organization declared BIRDEM as a Collaborating Centre for Research on Prevention and Control of Diabetes.

 

The writer is former Secretary and Chairman of NBR, He is also a member of the National Council, Diabetic Association of Bangladesh. He can be contacted at mazid.muhammad@gmail.com

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