Get screened to know your health status – Minister

GNA – The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. John Alexander Ackon, has encouraged everybody to get screened to know if they are at risk of diabetes and to take steps to prevent it.

Knowing their status, he said, was vital to lower the risk for possible complications – heart and kidney diseases, stroke, blindness, nerve damage and other health problems.

This comes amid the rise in the cases of diabetes – a chronic disease, which globally, in excess of 382 million are estimated to be suffering from.

Mr. Ackon was speaking at this year’s “World Diabetes Day” celebration held in Kumasi.

“Know your risk: get screened now” was the theme chosen for the event.

It was jointly organized by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health with support from NOVO Nordisk.

The goal was to help educate the people and deepen their knowledge about the disease.

The Regional Minister noted that most of the cases were preventable and could be reversed.

“Taking steps to prevent and control diabetes does not mean living in deprivation – it means eating a tasty, balanced diet that will also boost your energy”, he added.

He repeated the government’s determination to continue to work hard to improve access to quality healthcare.

He applauded the Coalition for the contribution it was making to create awareness of diabetes.

Dr. Alexander Nang Beifubah, Regional Director of Health, warned that non-communicable diseases including diabetes could exceed the communicable diseases by the year 2030.

He labeled the disease as a ‘silent killer’ and said the GHS was focusing effort on early screening, to reduce the risk of complications.

Dr. Kofi Agyenim-Boateng, a Health Consultant, urged the public to engage in regular physical exercises, lead stress-free lifestyles, reduce their alcohol intake and avoid smoking.

GNA