Diabetes remains a key concern for the Government in its endeavour to provide quality health care services to the population in the face of the high prevalence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), stated the Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal, this morning, at the Sir Harilal Vaghjee Memorial Hall in Port-Louis.
He was speaking on World Diabetes Day 2022 observed annually on 14 November. The Minister of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, Mr Teeruthraj Hurdoyal, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Dr Anne Marie Ancia, and other personalities were present.
The event also coincided with the launching of Health Promotion Clubs whose aim is to encourage public officers to practice a regular physical activity and adopt healthy eating habits. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Wellness in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Public Service, Administrative and Institutional Reforms, the Public Officers’ Welfare Council, and the Mauritius Sports Council.
He stated that according to surveys conducted, around 20% of the overall population in Mauritius is diabetic adding that uncontrolled diabetes can lead to severe health complications such as heart diseases, renal impairment, eyes problems and damaged arteries. The Health Minister underlined that pre-diabetes and obesity are major precursors of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and therefore observed that it is imperative to change bad eating habits.
Speaking of the Health Promotion Clubs, he pointed out that officers of the Ministries and Departments will have greater access to physical activities, regular medical check-ups and screenings which, according to him, is a laudable initiative for civil servants. He expressed gratitude to the WHO for being a privileged partner to the Ministry and for providing assistance on numerous projects.
For his part, Minister Hurdoyal highlighted that diabetes is a cross-cutting issue and remains a global health concern. “More than 537 million people worldwide have diabetes and the figures keep on increasing”, he said. Tackling diabetes has become very critical in the face of COVID-19 pandemic as they can lead to more health complications and cause premature deaths, he indicated.
He stated that the health and wellbeing of public officers remains the topmost priority of the Ministry and announced that screening of NCDs will be carried out in different ministries and departments. The Fitness Centre for public officers, he stressed, is yet another milestone in protecting civil servants from NCDS, improve their work life balance and enhance productivity.
Dr Anne Marie Ancia, for her part, underlined that it is in the hands of each and every one to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and NCDs by practicing physical exercises and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
She also spoke of the Pen Plus Strategy which is a regional strategy to address severe NCDs at First-Level Referral Health Facilities. The strategy, she indicated, is aimed at bridging the access gap in treatment and care of patients with chronic and severe NCDs as well as providing integrated preventive and control measures.
The WHO Representative pointed out that the NCD Survey 2022 reveals that diabetes and uncontrolled diabetes are getting stabilised in Mauritius. She commended the Ministry for providing access to medicines and treatments for diabetes in Mauritius.
