By Joey Aguilar
More than 7,000 Qatar residents participated in the fifth Beat Diabetes Walkathon yesterday in a bid to raise awareness about the disease that has affected millions of people worldwide. World Diabetes Day was observed yesterday.
The annual event attracted dozens of schools and groups in the country, as well as families and individuals, who joined the 2km walk at Aspire Park. It was organised by Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) and the Landmark Group.
“People should be active, eat a balanced and healthy diet and undergo regular blood screening to beat diabetes,” Dr Abdullah al-Hamaq, executive director of QDA, told reporters on the occasion. “Diabetes is on the rise all over the world and countries are struggling to keep pace,” he cautioned.
According to a statement from QDA, the latest estimates of International Diabetes Federation (IDF) revealed that 8.3% of adults (382mn people) have diabetes across the world. The number is expected to increase to more than 592mn in less than 25 years.
A sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and low levels of awareness are noted as key contributors to the rapid incidence of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa.
Type 1 diabetes, which affects children and relatively younger people, is considered to be caused by hereditary factors. The condition has been on the rise with more than 79,000 children (0-14 years) across the region believed to be affected by the disease.
“The walk also aims to educate the community on how to prevent diabetes and obesity such as doing regular exercise and living a healthy lifestyle,” Dr al-Hamaq said.
He had recently announced that many general practitioners in the country would benefit from a three-year programme that aimed to further upgrade their skills in treating diabetes.
The European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the Gulf Group for the Study of Diabetes had renewed another agreement to provide a post graduate continued education for doctors across the GCC.
An ongoing event at Katara – the Cultural Village titled Katara Campaign with Action on Diabetes, ends today. Some of the activities include dietary education, blood glucose monitoring, healthy cooking and physical activities. A zone was also set up for children.
Echoing the statements of Dr al-Hamaq, Landmark Group chief operating officer Santosh Pai told reporters that the annual event received an overwhelming response from Qatar residents.
“Since the diabetes epidemic is growing, we feel that we can do something to at least raise awareness and change their lifestyles,” he said.
“We want people to make a conscious effort to lead healthier lifestyles and regularly monitor their blood glucose levels. These are essential to the long-term health of our family, community and nation,” Pai added.
Dr al-Hamaq, Pai and Aspire Logistics event manager Abdullah al-Khater joined the participants in the 2km walk.
