World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses.
World Diabetes Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of diabetes as a global public health issue and what needs to be done, collectively and individually, for better prevention, diagnosis and management of the condition.
On this World Diabetes Day 2023, the World Health Organization will highlight the need for equitable access to essential care, including raising awareness of ways people with diabetes can minimize their risk of complications.
Activities will also celebrate the experiences of people with all forms of diabetes to help those impacted to take action, including seeking and obtaining essential care.
As per the World Health Organization sources, Type1 diabetes is not preventable. Type2 diabetes is often preventable through a healthy diet, regular physical activity, maintaining a normal body weight and avoiding tobacco use.
Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.
Diabetes can be treated and its complications avoided or delayed with regular screening and treatment.
People with diabetes should seek regular screening for complications to aid in early detection. This includes screening for kidney disease, regular eye exams, and foot assessment.
Quitting smoking reduces the risk of developing Type2 diabetes by 30-40%.
Diabetes is associated with about twice the risk of tuberculosis (TB) disease and a higher risk of multidrug-resistant TB. People with both TB and diabetes are twice as likely to die during TB treatment and have twice the risk of TB relapse after treatment completion.
Only about 50 percent of people with Type2 diabetes get the insulin they need, often because their country’s health systems cannot afford it.
On this International Diabetes Day, the National Eye Hospital of Sri Lanka urges people with diabetes to get a comprehensive eye exam annually.
A media conference was held yesterday (13) at the auditorium of the National Eye Hospital, Colombo, with the aim of making people aware of diabetes, preventing vision complications and protecting them from blindness.
The press conference was jointly organized by the Ministry of Health, Vision 2020 Programme, Sri Lanka Ophthalmologists Association and Sri Lanka Retinal Specialists Association.
The world population and the current status of diabetes, the current status of diabetes in this country, eye disorders caused by diabetes, risk groups, identification of patients, and referral to treatment services, treatment methods and awareness of the disease to the people were informed.
Diabetes is the increase in the amount of blood-sugar in the body, if this condition persists for a long time, the side effects resulting from it are many, and it affects the important organs of the body as well as the eye that gives the appearance of being very dangerous.
Among the changes in the eye, the main action occurs in the retinal membrane that provides vision, especially things such as new retinal folds, bleeding, new membrane growth, and if this condition persists for a long time, the eye may lose vision and become blind.
Diabetic retinopathy is a long-term complication of diabetes. There are no early symptoms. Some of the symptoms may include blurred vision, floating particles like cloudy cobwebs, difficulty seeing at night, colour vision problems and sudden loss of vision. Symptoms include blurring of central vision, spots or streaks, wrinkling of straight lines, and dimming or blurring of colours due to swelling of the macular part of the retina.
Commenting on the fact that about 11 percent of people in Sri Lanka suffer from diabetes, this may vary according to the districts, and a higher percentage can be expected in Colombo and its surrounding areas, Eye Surgeon Dr. Kapila Banduthilaka said. He also said that this is a rapidly growing problem.
Eye Surgeon Dr. Mangala Danapala said that 20 percent of patients in urban areas are diabetic, and 27 percent in Colombo district are suffering from diabetes.
He also said that this is about eight percent in rural areas. Approximately 20 percent of the adult population above the age of 18 are affected by diabetes, and accordingly, there are three million diagnosed and treated diabetics in this country, and 300,000 working people must be blind due to diabetes.
The National Eye Hospital requested the people to have an eye examination without fail once a year if they are suffering from diabetes, and it was also pointed out that by having an eye examination every person can detect the disease early, and by providing proper treatment, they can protect themselves from blindness.
All diabetic patients, long-term diabetic patients, patients with poor diabetes control, hypertensive patients, pregnant mothers, kidney patients, obesity, high cholesterol patients, and smokers are at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.
Control, attending regular clinics with your doctor treating diabetes, controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels, exercising regularly, eating healthy, quitting smoking, having an eye exam with an eye surgeon at least once a year, eye surgery It was also pointed out that medical advice should be followed.
National Eye Hospital Director A.R.M Kaufik, Deputy Director Dr. Chinthaka Batawala, Sri Lanka Eye Surgeons Association President Dr. Kapila Banduthilaka, Retinal Eye Surgeon Dr. Mangala Danapala, National Eye Hospital Ophthalmologist Dr. Deepani were present on this occasion. A group of health care staff including doctors and nurses were present.
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