QDA executive director Dr Abdulla al-Hamaq stresses the importance of educating children living with diabetes on how to cope with their condition. PICTURE: Jayaram
By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter
Many children living with diabetes in Qatar who joined previous Al Bawasil Diabetes Camps now know how to cope with the disease, Dr Abdulla al-Hamaq, executive director of Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) – Qatar Foundation, has said.
With the right information and education given to them, these children are now confident to properly manage their condition.
“They know how to use the blood glucose meter, they know how to choose healthy foods to eat and they know what physical activities to do,” he noted.
The QDA senior official was speaking on the sidelines of a press conference yesterday about the 15th International Al Bawasil Children with Diabetes Camp which will open on Sunday.
QDA and its partners also taught some children with diabetes on how to inject insulin by themselves, according to Dr al-Hamaq. About 90% of them, aged 0 to 18, are suffering from type 1 diabetes.
Citing some statistics from the Hamad Medical Corporation Paediatric Endocrine and Diabetes Unit, he said an estimated 150 of the 1,000 children living with diabetes in Qatar are being injected with insulin using the insulin pump therapy.
Since no alternative medication is available for type 1 diabetes, he stressed that these children need to take insulin regularly.
QDA has been organising several activities and events in a bid to raise awareness about the disease and its treatment.
Last year, an agreement was signed to provide a post graduate continued education for doctors across the GCC. The three-year programme aims to further upgrade their skills in treating diabetes.
A programme was also launched earlier to educate and upgrade the skills of nurses through a nine-month online course.
Dr al-Hamaq earlier announced that a new drug, approved in the US and Europe, is expected to be available in Qatar this year.
QDA also organised the fifth Beat Diabetes Walkathon in November last year with more than 7,000 residents in Qatar participating in the event, which was part of the World Diabetes Day observation.
In a Gulf Times report published earlier, Dr al-Hamaq pointed out that “nearly a quarter of the population might turn diabetic by 2030 unless they are educated well and follow clear healthy practices such as healthy eating habits and physical activities.”
He said so far, some 22,618 schoolchildren were educated on healthy lifestyle and 1,092 healthcare professionals were provided with diabetic education.
