EAC urged to sensitise public on Diabetes
KAMPALA, UGANDA – Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has urged EAC partner states to harmonise policies, standards and treatment guidelines for diabetes and other non-communicable diseases so that people travelling within the region benefit from standard treatment.
“EAC partner states’ public and private sectors, ministries such as for Trade, Customs, Agriculture, Education, Culture and Sports should collaborate and work together to develop policies and strategies aimed at combating diabetes in the region,” he advised.
He said this in a speech read for him by the Vice President Edward Sekandi at the opening of the first East African Community Diabetes Summit in Kampala, recently
He said that insufficient awareness strategies on how to prevent and manage diabetes was forcing some people to seek traditional medication to cure the disease.
Dr. Richard Sezibera , the Secretary General of the East African Community noted that diabetes and other non-communicable diseases remain misunderstood and a neglected epidemic with increasingly alarming numbers in every region of the world, including East Africa.
According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 7 million Africans suffer from this disease, which is now ranked as the fourth main cause of death in most developing countries.
He said that non-communicable diseases were adversely impacting on the lives of millions of people since they cause and aggravate poverty.
“The increasing burden of diabetes and other neglected non-communicable diseases and disorders such as cancer and heart diseases were now posing a great threat to the general health and overall wellbeing of the people of East Africa,” he noted.
He said that it is now the responsibility of all individuals, families, households, local communities, investors, entrepreneurs, pharmaceutical manufacturers, researchers, industry, parliaments, national governments, development partners, civil society and various non-state actors, among others to combat the disease.
The Summit was attended by ministers; Members of Parliament; Ambassadors and High Commissioners among
others.
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