UniBen medical students celebrate World Diabetes Day

The students organized a public lecture which was held at the Nurses house in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. The lecture titled ‘Diabetes; pulling blinds over the window to the soul’ saw in attendance, students, health workers and civil servants.Dr. Andrew Edo of the Department of Internal Medicine, UBTH who delivered the paper stated […]

The students organized a public lecture which was held at the Nurses house in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
The lecture titled ‘Diabetes; pulling blinds over the window to the soul’ saw in attendance, students, health workers and civil servants.
Dr. Andrew Edo of the Department of Internal Medicine, UBTH who delivered the paper stated that the age long belief that sugary food causes diabetes was old.
He said sedentary lifestyle, westernization of civilization, family history of diabetes, psychosocial stress, and hypertension were the leading causes of the disease.
“Diabetes affects all races, irrespective of social class and status. It can lead to amputation foot, dyslipedema, renal failure, neuropathy and cardiovascular failure” he said.
Dr Edo, who lamented the burden of diabetes, said that few Nigerians can afford the treatment of the illness because it is expensive.
On curbing the disease, he suggested that Nigerians should develop healthy life style, avoid obesity, engage in nutrition education, monitor their glucose level, take oral hypoglycemic agent and adopt therapeutic lifestyle amongst others.
Earlier, president of UBEMSA, Ogechukwu Nwaobi stated that the symposium was part of event marking the association’s health week. “As medical students, we have realized that we need to be in the fore front of advocacy for diseases,” he said.
Uwoghiren is a 300level student of Medicine and Surgery, University of Benin