Price of ‘sweet’ lifestyle
S’wak recorded 9,903 diabetes cases last year, 72 pct spike in last five years
KUCHING: Sarawak recorded 9,903 new diabetes cases last year, indicating a sharp increase of 72 per cent within a short span of five years from 2008.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, in his speech read by Assistant Public Health Minister Datuk Dr Jerip Susil, highlighted that this showed a significant upward trend from 46,415 cases in 2008 to 79,572 last year
“In brief, there are 33,157 diabetes cases recorded in the state over a five-year period,” he said at the state-level World Diabetes Day 2013 at KTS Garden, Pending here yesterday.
“And according to the results of a survey on diabetes awareness in Malaysia conducted in 2012, the number of diabetes patients increased 31 per cent with 2.6 million Malaysians suffering from diabetes,” he added.
World Diabetes Day is observed annually on Nov 14.
Themed ‘ Diabetes Education and Prevent ion’ this year, i t emphasi sed continuous education to raise awareness on the seriousness of diabetes and advised people to take early preventive measures to reduce the risk of developing the disease.
The survey, Taib pointed out, also showed that 33 per cent of people suffering from diabetes in Malaysia had never gone for health checks and did not realise they were suffering from it.
“This is because diabetes is a silent disease in which there are no early signs that indicate a person has it and oftentimes upon
In brief, there are 33,157 diabetes cases recorded in the state over a five-year period.
Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Chief Minister
realisation, the disease is already at a certain level and sometimes at critical level,” he warned.
As such, Taib stressed the importance of going for health checks at least once a year.
“Besides diabetes, health checks help detect other noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, heart disease and kidney damage,” he said.
“Furthermore, prevention is even more effective with change in daily lifestyle patterns and eating habits,” he added.
“Exerci se and an act ive lifestyle combined with a healthy nutritious diet are important steps towards preventing, controlling or reversing diabetes but more important is maintaining good health,” he advised.
This year’s World Diabetes Day aims to empower people living with diabetes through education and inform the public about the serious burdens diabetes can bring and the ways it can be prevented.
Its main goals are to inform the people the warning signs of diabetes, to promote early diagnosis and reduce major risk factors, such as physical inactivity, smoking and diet.
The campaign was a collaboration between state Health Department and Diabetes Association Malaysia Sarawak branch.
Several events were organised in conjunction with the campaign, including a mini exhibition, aerobic exercise, walkathon and basic health checks which attracted some 1,000 people.
Among those present were state health director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan, Diabetes Association Malaysia president Datuk Dr Ikram Shah and its Sarawak branch president William Voon as well as Kuching North City Commission ( DBKU) Datuk Bandar Datuk Abang Abdul Wahap Julai Wahap.