VIDEOS: Novo Nordisk partners with the City to promote diabetes awareness
City Highlights Awareness around Diabetes.
November is World Diabetes month and Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, has partnered with the City of Joburg to promote diabetes awareness and educate the South African public on the truth about diabetes.
The City of Johannesburg became part of the Novo Nordisk, Cities Changing Diabetes initiative 6 years ago, and it is one of 10 cities around the world who are part of this network.
Speaking on Wednesday, November 14, at a World Diabetes Day awareness celebration at Maponya Mall, Dr Mpho Phalatse, a member of the mayoral committee for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg, warned that if left unchecked diabetes will continue to kill and scar hundreds of thousands every year whose limbs get amputated as a result.
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“Diabetes continues to thrive at the hands of ignorance and myths that have led many to a place of complacency”, said Phalatse.
“Today we boast improvements in life expectancy, infant and under-five mortality, as well as maternal mortality rates – largely as a result of a concerted effort by the government to preserve its most valued assets – the people of this nation,” she added.
Dr Babalwa Maholwana, Medical Director at Novo Nordisk also said that Diabetes is serious and If it is left untreated or is not well managed, the high levels of blood glucose associated with diabetes can slowly damage both the fine nerves and the small and large blood vessels in the body, resulting in a variety of complications.
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“These could include heart disease, blindness, amputation, kidney disease and erectile dysfunction or impotence. There is good news if diabetes is detected early enough and managed carefully these complications can be delayed and even prevented, that’s why early diagnosis is so important. Whether people are experiencing the symptoms or not, it’s important to get screened and know your risk,” he said.
The City of Joburg in partnership with Novo Nordisk conducted a survey in 14 clinics, and the survey revealed an 11% prevalence of diabetes in Johannesburg and a strong association between diabetes and excess body weight. 29% of the 2427 participants were overweight, and 37% were obese.
During a fun walk around Maponya Mall on Wednesday morning, Phalatse told pensioners and residents that more work was needed to fight Diabetes which was proving to be a silent killer.
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Facts about diabetes:
• Every 30 seconds someone loses a limb from diabetes.
• 65% of people will die from some form of heart disease or stroke.
• 5 out of a hundred adults in South Africa had diabetes in 2017.
• There are approximately over 1.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes in South Africa.
• Approximately 1.5 million people in South Africa are living with diabetes but are not aware.
• It is not just a little bit of a sugar problem. It is a metabolic disorder characterized by high glucose levels because of insufficient insulin, defects in insulin usage or both.
These are some of the signs and symptoms of diabetes:
• Frequent or recurring infections
• Cuts and bruises that heal slowly, itching skin and boils
• Unusual weight loss
• Unusual thirst
• Frequent urination
• Extreme fatigue or lack of energy
• Blurred vision
• Tingling and numbness in the hands or feet.
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