IT was an eventful World Diabetes Day (WDD) 2022 in Putrajaya recently as the Endocrine Institute of Putrajaya Hospital and Malaysian Endocrine & Metabolic Society (MEMS) works in hand with Novo Nordisk Pharma Malaysia to raise public awareness on diabetes.
Themed Education to Protect Tomorrow, WDD 2022 calls emphasises the need for better access to quality diabetes education and healthcare professionals for people living with diabetes.
Kicking off the series of educational activities in was the Diabetes Fun Walk around the Putrajaya Hospital vicinity for the public. The run was incorporated with various educational station games about diabetes and its management, which participants need to complete to progress.
Complementing the run was the Diabetes Fair which featured numerous educational booths as well as public talks from various hospital departments coming together to provide awareness and education on diabetes.
Aside from public awareness activities, the Endocrine Institute also organised diabetes education activities for healthcare providers with capacity training workshops on diabetes care for their healthcare team.
The Health Ministry’s deputy director-general (medical) Datuk Dr Asmayani Khalib officiated the event together with Endocrinology Subspecialty Service head Datuk Dr Zanariah Hussein, MEMS president Dr Nurain Mohd Noor, Hospital Putrajaya deputy director (endocrine) Dr Mohammad Khairol Anwar Yusop and Novo Nordisk Pharma Malaysia vice president and general manager Richard Abela.
Dr Asmayani reiterated the importance of a holistic approach in both prevention and disease management to combat the disease in light of the current National Health and Morbidity survey reporting an increasing prevalence of diabetes, affecting one in five adult Malaysians.
“The rising number of people affected by diabetes is putting added strain on healthcare systems,” Dr Asmayani pointed out.
“Healthcare professionals require quality diabetes education on how to detect and diagnose the condition early and provide the best possible care, while people living with diabetes need access to ongoing education to understand their condition and carry out the daily self-care essential to staying healthy and avoiding complications.”
Meanwhile, Dr Zanariah added that with the rising number of Malaysians being diagnosed with diabetes, it is crucial to double the existing efforts to prevent the number from escalating.
Access to quality diabetes education is a goal we must all strive for, to educate and empower not only patients and the community but also family members who are providing support and care. – Dec 7, 2022
