By Kemi Olatunde

An estimated 463 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes mellitus,with Type 2 diabetes constituting about 90 percent of the cases, a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed.
This was part of the new discoveries on the disease highlighted at the 2021 Edition of the Annual World Diabetes Day held on Sunday with the theme “Access To Diabetes Care-If Not Now, When”.
Speaking on this year’s celebration, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Health, Pharmacist (Mrs.) Folukemi Aladenola noted that the theme for the celebrations was apt as it succinctly puts across the timely message for diabetes care.
Aladenola averred that health professionals have projected that the figures of people suffering from diabetes will continue to rise except there was increased awareness about the metabolic disorder and tips on maintaining normal blood sugar levels.
The Permanent Secretary who noted that in Nigeria, many people still do not have access to diagnosis, medicines and monitoring devices that can help with diabetes management said diabetes was one of the leading causes of death worldwide with 1.5 million deaths annually.
She enumerated symptoms of the disease to include increased thirst, frequent urination, blurred vision, slow-healing sores and frequent infections while factors that may signal an increased risk include family history, obesity inactivity, age, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Aladenola therefore advocated regular blood sugar monitoring, dietary changes, regular exercise and prompt medical attention for the diabetic while advising individuals to engage in more physical activities by aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes moderate physical activity daily.
The Permanent Secretary said learning about the diabetes mellitus disease and actively participating in its treatment are important since complications are far less common and less severe in people who have well-managed blood sugar levels.
The World Diabetes Day is celebrated on November 14 every year to mark the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting,who discovered the insulin hormone along with Charles Herbert Best in 1922.
The day was established by the International Diabetes Foundation(IDF)and the World Health Organisation(WHO)in 1991 as a response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by the disease.