Walkathon to mark World Diabetes Day on Nov 17

The event, under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Minister of Finance and Industry and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, has been organised jointly by Sanofi-Aventis Pharmaceuticals and the Emirates Diabetes Society.

The event will start at 10am with a 4.2-km walkathon, followed by entertainment activities, including trampolines, face painting, aqua football and stilt walking.

An ambulance from the Department of Health and Medical Services will be available for free diabetes check and emergency services.

To mark the occasion, Welcare World Health Systems (WWHS) facilities will offer free screening throughout the day on November 14.

Recent statistics released by the Ministry of Health show that 25 per cent of UAE nationals suffer from diabetes, and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) ranks the prevalence of diabetes in the UAE at a staggering 30.7 per cent, which is the second highest rate worldwide.

“Healthcare costs in the UAE are rising due to a number of factors, one of them being the high incidence of diabetes and its related factors,” said Dr Ottmar Schmidt, Director of PR and Marketing, WWHS.

“One of the problems we often encounter is that a large number of people have diabetes but are unaware and only present themselves when they suffer some complications,” comments Dr Iyad Ksseiry, specialist endocrinologist, Welcare Hospital.

“While it cannot be cured, diabetes can be carefully controlled and I hope that people will come forward to get tested in order to prevent future, more serious complications,” he added.