Walk for health

The rising incidence of diabetes has created an alarming situation worldwide. Pakistan is one of the countries having the highest number of diabetics and facing an epidemic of diabetes. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), estimates, there are presently more than seven million diabetics in Pakistan and this number will increase to 16 million by 2025. Another six million or more are suffering from Impaired Glucose Tolerance, which means they are at high risk of developing diabetes. This ranks Pakistan 8th in the world as far as the number of the diabetics is concerned and according to WHO estimation, Pakistan will be placed 4th in this regard by the year 2025. These figures make diabetes an epidemic and call for an immediate action.

To make people vigilant of this situation diabetes awareness walk was organised recently by the National Diabetes and Diabetic Foot Programme at Boat Basin, Karachi. It was inaugurated by Prof FU Baqai, Vice Chancellor of Baqai Medical University and Prof Abdul Samad Shera, Honorary President International Diabetes Federation and Secretary General Pakistan Diabetes Association. The purpose of the walk was to create awareness in the people in general, regarding diabetes, its prevention and management and to stress the importance and need of regular physical activity and exercise.

Change in the life style from sedentary to more active with regular physical exercise and balanced diet rather than the high calorie fatty and sugary diet can prevent diabetes in a large proportion of people. The programme is a nationwide diabetes project, launched jointly by the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF), and Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE), with an aim to giving knowledge regarding diabetes, to initiate the prevention of diabetes and to improve the diabetes care and the diabetic foot care nationwide.

A number of stalls were there at the starting point of the walk providing literature and verbal information about diabetes and its prevention and management. Moreover, free blood-sugar and cholesterol tests were provided and Body Mass Index (a criterion for obesity) was measured.