It was announced today that 5,000 of the UAE’s citizens have been screened for diabetes as part of an ongoing Diabetes Awareness Campaign – launched by the Dubai Health Authority in partnership with 3M Roche, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – Chairman of Dubai Culture. The announcement comes as HH Sheikh Majid arrives in the Al Badaa Hospital in Dubai, to see first-hand the campaign in action.
The campaign, which began on 12 July, aims to raise and sustain awareness about diabetes among members of the public, including parents, children, teachers, healthcare professionals and politicians; to make it easier for the public to take action on diabetes and get tested; and to provide the public with the proper facilities to treat diabetes.
To date, a team of Dubai Health Authority medical professionals and representatives from 3M and Roche have visited 16 different locations including malls, sports clubs, hospitals and clinics across Dubai and Hatta. The screening sessions, which are completely free and open to all residents of the UAE, provide information about diabetes; including its causes, effects, treatment options and prevention strategies – in light of the fact that 20% of the UAE’s population is now living with diabetes, and another 20% is at risk of developing it.
During the screening sessions, experts from Dubai Health Authority were available to provide on the spot advice for those who registered high blood sugar levels, or for those who wanted to find out more about the disease.
“In the UAE, diabetes has become a serious health concern and diabetes mellitus accounts for 75% of deaths among UAE nationals, which demonstrates the magnitude of the problem. Learning how to reduce your chances of developing diabetes therefore is critical, and if you already have diabetes, you need to know about the best treatment options available in order to deal with diabetes-related health issues,” said Rita Habash, marketing manager of 3M’s Healthcare Division. “We are also concerned that many residents may have the disease but may not be aware of it – so the screening has proved an effective and easy way for residents to check.”
A spokesperson from the Dubai Health Care commented: “Diabetes is a disease which poses one of the biggest threats to the health of nationals across the UAE and the Gulf
region, and it is a disease that we must tackle head-on. What we are promoting, alongside our partner 3M, is enough awareness so that residents realise that diabetes is something that they can take action on now. As a next step, Dubai Health Authority is planning to roll the campaign out in schools and universities as our children are at a significant risk: 17% of UAE nationals between six and 16 are obese, and children as young as ten are being diagnosed with diabetes due to obesity, lack of physical activity, an unhealthy diet and hypertension. This highlights just how important this campaign is, for the health of citizens of all ages.”
“3M Healthcare Division is proud to have partnered with the Dubai Health Authority and Roche for the Diabetes Awareness Campaign and is confident that it will continue to make a very positive impact here in the UAE,” noted Habash. “ Diabetes may lead to life threatening consequences if left untreated . 3M continues to provide innovative solutions for protection & healing of wounds resulting from Diabetes such as Cavilon TM, Tegaderm TM MATRIX & Tegaderm TM ABSORBANT and encourages all UAE residents to take part in the campaign’s events and learn all they can about diabetes prevention and treatment options, for a healthy future, free from diabetes.”