As part of the World Diabetes Day Health Fair at the Lebanese International University – Al Khiyara, Bekaa, Amel Association team conducted today an awareness campaign about Diabetes and shared realities of dealing with the chronic condition.
Amel is implementing a project titled “Chronic Diseases Care”. The objective of this project is to contribute to alleviating the suffering of chronically ill Syrian refugees and host communities’ members as well as to reduce morbidity rates of type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Free consultations, medications, lab tests, awareness sessions, training and Psych-social activities are implemented to address the need of 1100 persons (Syrian and Lebanese), funded by Help Age international.
It was Frederick Banting who discovered insulin in 1922, therefore, November 14 is the date when the world acknowledges the work of Banting by spreading awareness on his birthday. World Diabetes Day is the world’s largest diabetes awareness campaign reaching a global audience of over 1 billion people in more than 160 countries. The theme for WDD 2017 is Women and Diabetes.
The World Diabetes Day 2017 campaign will promote the importance of affordable and equitable access for all women at risk for or living with diabetes to the essential diabetes medicines and technologies, self-management education and information they require to achieve optimal diabetes outcomes and strengthen their capacity to prevent type 2 diabetes.
There are currently over 199 million women living with diabetes and this total is projected to increase to 313 million by 2040. Gender roles and power dynamics influence vulnerability to diabetes, affect access to health services and health seeking behavior for women, and amplify the impact of diabetes on women.
Diabetes is the ninth leading cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths each year. As a result of socioeconomic conditions, girls and women with diabetes experience barriers in accessing cost-effective diabetes prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and care, particularly in developing countries. Socioeconomic inequalities expose women to the main risk factors of diabetes, including poor diet and nutrition, physical inactivity, tobacco consumption and harmful use of alcohol.
Two out of every five women with diabetes are of reproductive age, accounting for over 60 million women worldwide. Women with diabetes have more difficulty conceiving and may have poor pregnancy outcomes. Without pre-conception planning, type 1 and type 2 diabetes can result in a significantly higher risk of maternal and child mortality and morbidity.
Approximately one in seven births is affected by gestational diabetes (GDM), a severe and neglected threat to maternal and child health. Many women with GDM experience pregnancy related complications including high blood pressure, large birth weight babies and obstructed labour. A significant number of women with GDM also go on to develop type 2 diabetes resulting in further healthcare complications and costs.
Stigmatisation and discrimination faced by people with diabetes are particularly pronounced for girls and women, who carry a double burden of discrimination because of their health status and the inequalities perpetrated in male dominated societies. These inequalities can discourage girls and women from seeking diagnosis and treatment, preventing them from achieving positive health outcomes.
