The Municipal Chief Executive of La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal M.C.E, Jenifer Dede Adjabeng has led the official opening of Type 1 Diabetes Clinic at Sanford health Center to mark the 2022 world Diabetes Day.
Sonia Nabeta and Sanford world Clinic partnered a joint programme named SNF Clinic at Sanford to support the ministry of health’s objective of improving access to healthcare for children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in Ghana.
Statistics available to the National Diabetes Association indicate that there are more than four million diabetic patients in the country aged between 34 and 64.
This year’s global celebration is on the theme: “education to protect tomorrow”.
In his address, the President of Sanford World Clinic, Dr. Kojo Taylor, said despite the high prevalence of the disease in Ghana, people do not have access to good care and described the situation as worrying but went further to add that it is important to have knowledgeable patients who can look after themselves.
According to him, a well-structured education programme for the public, patients and health professionals was needed in the effort to manage the disease.
For her part, the founder and Executive director of, SNF, Ms. Vivian Nabeta noticed that T1D in Africa is buried under the shroud of confusion and misconception.
‘’when you hear diabetes, you might think of a disease caused by poor diet, a lack of exercise and other conscious lifestyle decisions. We have also heard that people say that diabetes is not for children and that only old people get it” Ms Vivian Said.
Explaining further, Ms. Vivian added that type 1 diabetes does not have a known cause, it is not preventable and curable and no amount of exercise is going to prevent it since it is a condition where the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produces insulin.
“In children like our warriors and other people with type one diabetes, the pancreas cannot produce insulin so they need externally administered insulin to regulate their blood glucose level. In short they need external insulin to survive and without this insulin they die” she added.
She therefore called on children living with type 1 diabetes to rise up to the task and fight against the disease since it is the surest way of having equal chance at a long, healthy, gainful and productive lives.
The MCE for La NKwantanang-Madina who also doubles as the guest of honour for the event, said, it is very likely to unintentionally slip diagnosis for T1D especially in children because the symptoms are largely the same as symptoms of common diseases in children but acknowledged that the presence of the Clinic at Stanford provides the opportunity to leave no stone unturned.
She therefore called on all health practitioner and parents to pay attention and make sure not to slip diagnosis since early detection is key to ensuring that medication is administered on time to ensure a long and healthy life for people living with T1D.
The Member of Parliament for Madina Constituency, Hon. Francis Xavier Sosu who also spoke at the event counted a number of interventions such as the Sosu medical project targeted at supporting the underprivileged in the area of healthcare and pledged to collaborate with the SNF Clinic at Sanford to bring medical relief to persons living with T1D.
According to him, beyond reaching out to the constituents through the Sosu Medical project, he has also taken the initiative to sponsor pieces of legislation parliament that seeks to protect the interest of the most vulnerable, particularly with children with cancers, tumors amongst other illnesses.
Bainamultimedia/ Mallam Fary
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