Know your diabetes status, FG urges Nigerians

The National Desk Officer, Diabetes of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Alayo Sopekan, has advised Nigerians to go for a test to know their diabetes status. He stated this yesterday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ engagement on iCARE initiatives in Nigeria, organised by Novo Nordisk, in collaboration with the Society for Pediatric and Adolescent […]

The National Desk Officer, Diabetes of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Alayo Sopekan, has advised Nigerians to go for a test to know their diabetes status.

He stated this yesterday in Abuja during a stakeholders’ engagement on iCARE initiatives in Nigeria, organised by Novo Nordisk, in collaboration with the Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology of Nigeria (SPAEN) and the Federal Ministry of Health.

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He said doing so was key to detecting the disease early as anyone could suffer from it, irrespective of family history.

Sopekan, who is also the deputy national coordinator, the Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Department, called on states and local governments to establish NCD control desks to stem the tide of the disease.

Jude Abonu, the Business Unit Head, English West Africa, Novo Nordisk, said the iCARE initiative was geared towards accelerating access to treatment for patients living with diabetes in Africa in a sustainable manner by leveraging on four key areas: capacity, affordability, reach and empowerment.

He said the Changing Diabetes in Children programme (CDiC) of iCARE aimed to reach 2,400 children and train 380 HCPs, working through 30 facilities by 2025, while the Affordability programme aimed to reach 12,000 patients with affordable insulin through 100 implementing facilities, while building the capacity of 450 Health Care Providers (HCPs) by 2023.