The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) - the Custodians of the health of the people of Nigeria - heartily congratulate all Nigerians, the entire global community and in particular all health workers, on the occasion ofthe 2016 World Health Day.
The theme for this year's celebration is 'Diabetes; and the slogan- Halt the rise- Beat Diabetes'. The celebration aims to 'increase awareness about the rising prevalence of diabetes, its confounding burden and implications, especially in low-and middle-income countries; initiate and scale up a set of specific, effective and affordable activities to tackle the scourge of diabetes including steps to prevent diabetes and diagnose, treat and care for people with diabetes' .
Today as always, we empathise with the more than 1.56million Nigerians who are Hving with Diabetes - constituting a national prevalence of 1.9% who spend up to N53,OOO annually for their treatment mainly as out-of-pocket expenditure. We note with indignation that due to inequities in availability, affordability and accessibility of efficient and effective healthcare delivery in our nation. majority of the over 40,000 Nigerians who died from the condition in 2015 could have been saved, not forgetting about 1million country men and women who have the disease but are yet to be diagnosed and treated, . and another estimated 3.85 million people with impaired glucose tolerance - a pre- diabetic condition.
The Nigerian Medical Association further notes that despite the forewarning by epidemiologists of the 'epidemic' of non-communicable diseases of which diabetes and obesity are front runners, and the flag-off of a nation-wide campaign for healthy living and periodic medical check-ups in 2013 by The NMA, not much has been done to chart a National Response to Haltthe Rise of Diabetes! Diabetes is not just a medical issue but one with a huge multi-sectoral and socioeconomic dimension and severe burden on the health system and national economy, through direct medical expenditures and loss of man hours and wages.
The NMA uses this auspicious occasion of the 2016 World Health Day to advise our nation as follows:
1. Diabetes is one of four priority Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) targeted by world leaders in the 2011 Political Declaration on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the SDGs 2016·2030 (SDG Goal 3). Nigeria as a signatory to the Declaration, must implement the Global Action Plan which has to halt the rise of Diabetes and Obesity by 2025 as a target. The NMA calls on the federal government to declare a NATIONAL CONSCIOUSNESS DAY FOR HEALTH AWARENESS AND MEDICAL CHECK·UPS in which the ideals of healthy living including consumption of healthy diets, regular physical exercises, good environmental sanitation and personal hygiene practices, campaign for drug abuse, etc, would be re-enforced in the polity. .
2. This year's celebration is another opportunity to take another decisive step towards advancing universal health coverage (UHC) by expanding the NHIS coverage, making it mandatory, and through the implementation of the National Health Act 2014.
3. The Federal Government should harness the contributions of all stakeholders professional associations, civil society, the private sector, and inter-govemmental agencies, towards making treatment, care and supportfor diabetes accessible and affordable for patients. To this end, NMA would embark on a large scale community screening for Diabetes and related ailments including their complications at the forthcoming Annual General ConferencelOelegates' meeting in Sokoto State from Sunday 241h to Saturday 30111 April, 2016. NMA expecfs that 'the NMA face of Healthy living & medical check-ups in Nigeria' who is the current Executive Governor of Sokoto state, HE Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal CFR would be on hand to flag off this important national and humanitarian duty.
4. In the same vein, The NMAsees hope in the direction which the current Hon. Minister of Health Prof. I. F. Adewole and the Hon. Minister of State for Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire have indicated, especially the plan to revitalize 1000 PHCs nationwide in the next two years. Should this succeed, the Care of diabetics would benefit along with other conditions that afflict Nigerians.
5. Furthermore, because there is never enough Government money to provide every conceivable health dividend, the implementation of the targeted Public Private Partnership, as approved by the National Council on Health in 2005 (PPP) would attract the needed private sector competencies by providing extra funding for more jobs, eliminating inefficiency, and truancy in health facilities that will enable facilities manage both acute and chronic complications of diabetes including chronic kidney diseases with capacity for dialysis and transplant surgery; retinal and cataract surgery facilities; better equipped cardiac labs for diagnosis of diabetic related heart disease and cardiovascular surgical centres; sophisticated foot llimb care services.
6. NMA encourages the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and National Agency for Food, drug administration and control (NAFDAC) to enhance their vigilance and exercise their statutory mandates: prevent the Importation of all forms of fake and adulterated medical equipment and medicines accordingly, fake BP and blood glucose measuring devices. The NMA encourages all Nigerians who use their own devices at home to take them along when they attend clinics and hospitals for standardization and calibration from time to time.
7. Prevention is cheaper, easier, safer and better than cure which is why The NMA renews its Call for aI/ Nigerians to inculcate the culture of periodiC medical check-ups by first consulting their doctor; avoid self~medication; avoid abrupt stopping of medications without the direction of their doctor; avoid mixing of orthodox medicines with herbal/native remedies; etc. The NMA calls on all Nigerians to take overweight condition/obesity very seriously beginning with children and young adults in order to mitigate rising incidences of childhood obesity - regular exercise such as School Sports and age group competitions should be reintroduced to support other physical fitness initiatives.
NMA wishes you all a Diabetes free world! We can halt the dis-ease in our bodies, health system and nation even as the change mantra strives to make life worth living again in Nigeria.
Exerpts of the CRS activities by Nigerian Doctor - NMA memebrs doing what they know best-giving back to the society in and out of the work place in every part of Nigeria.
Signed:
Dr, Kayode Obembe
President
Dr, Adewunmi Alayaki
Secretary General
ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
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