Awareness for families high on the agenda as World Diabetes Day is observed

Nov 14, 2018 News

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An increasing number of youths are being diagnosed with Type One diabetes. Too many are being diagnosed; it is a life sentence with no hope of a good life.
But President of the local Diabetic Association, Ms. Glynis Alonzo-Beaton, is contending otherwise. Alonzo-Beaton can surely speak with authority on this health condition as she has been living with the disease for close to three decades.
“I don’t like having diabetes but I have learnt that I have to live with it and you have to find means to live with it,” said Alonzo-Beaton.

She has, moreover, long recognised that without proper management, the devastating effects of diabetes can not only ruin the lives of individuals but that of families and even negatively impact the economy of a nation.
“The devastating complications can include losing a toe, then it can move up where you lose an ankle…if that affects your working population then that is a serious problem,” said Alonzo-Beaton.
Among the important factors to help combat this disease, which continues to extend its tentacles across ages, is that of education.
“To be well managed you need education; you need awareness,” the Diabetic Association President said as she highlighted the need for the contributions in this regard from non-governmental organisations [NGOs] such as the one she heads.
According to Alonzo-Beaton, while the public health sector has a crucial role to play, NGOs must also play a crucial role as well. “Government can’t do everything…” she insisted as she alluded to instances where the Diabetic Association has not only worked along with Government but also with other NGOs to raise awareness about diabetes.
Alonzo-Beaton’s disclosure was vocalised yesterday, the eve of World Diabetes Day 2018. The observance this year embraces the theme: ‘The family and diabetes’. The observances will run for two years.
This theme, according to Alonzo-Beaton, is seen as not only necessary and fitting since it has been recognised that parents continue to struggle to sometimes even notice signs and symptoms manifesting in their children that are associated with diabetes.
It is this very shortcoming, the diabetes advocate is convinced, has been allowing for an increase in Type One diabetes.
Alonzo-Beaton, who is also affiliated with the International Diabetes Federation [IDF], said that based on a study conducted by IDF, “one out of three parents won’t spot diabetes in their own children and four out of five have trouble recognising the warning signs of the disease.”
IDF believes that with education this could be a thing of the past.
Among the early signs of diabetes are excessive thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, lack of energy, slow healing wounds and numbness in the feet or hands.
“We at the Diabetic Association realised that we have to do far more awareness. We have not touched enough lives despite our work with the Ministry of Health through its Chronic Disease Department…despite collaborations even with some corporate companies like Ansa McAl, New GPC, some private citizens, the Lions; you still need to be out there,” said Alonzo-Beaton.
But the efforts must start with the family since, according to her, “the family is the nucleus of the country and so you need to nurture the family. If they don’t have good health then we are not getting anywhere.”
Although World Diabetes Day is being observed today, the local Diabetic Association is continually engaged in activities to raise awareness about diabetes. And as the theme suggests, Alonzo-Beaton noted that it is imperative that families are educated so that they can begin to recognise symptoms at an early stage so that they can be ruled out as diabetes by medical professionals or allow for early treatment and management.
To advance its awareness efforts to reach even more families, the Diabetic Association will today collaborate with the Lions of Ruimveldt to host an exhibition which is expected to be a major diabetes awareness event.
In addition to raising awareness, the exhibition slated for Stabroek Square will entail blood sugar, HBA1C [diabetic] and eye tests and even some referrals, among other activities, Alonzo-Beaton said.
“They [Lions Club] approached us and we thought [the exhibition] was good because Lions deal with families too. So we have put together this event to celebrate families and diabetes…not burden them but celebrate it.
“We live with diabetes; we have to work with it and so we have to learn to manage it,” Alonzo-Beaton asserted.
The Association will also be hosting its signature fundraising event this Saturday. It will take the form of a ‘Queen of Hearts’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’ themed gala, which Alonzo-Beaton said, will be a family oriented activity.
“Everybody will get an opportunity to be part of a family,” said Alonzo-Beaton of the event slated for the Ramada Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
Tickets for this event cost $6,000, which will include dinner and an award ceremony for those who have supported the efforts of the Association.

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