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PESHAWAR, Jan 23 (APP):Khyber Paktunkhwa Advisor for Health, Ihtesham Ali has stressed the need for collective efforts to curb the spread of diabetes and the life-threatening condition related to it.
Chairing a meeting of the Diabetes Task Force here he emphasized the crucial role of public awareness in combating diabetes, urging the use of all communication platforms to educate the public, saud a press release.
He expressed grave concern over the alarming prevalence of diabetes in the province and instructed the authorities to take urgent preventive measures.
The advisor called diabetes the “root of all diseases” and highlighted the dire lack of awareness about the illness. He proposed including diabetes education in school textbooks to raise awareness from an early age.
The meeting was attended by former D-TALK and Insulin for Life Project Director Dr A.H. Aamir, WHO Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Office Head Dr Babar Alam, representatives from the Finance and Planning and Development Departments, and other members of the task force.
The meeting was informed that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30 percent of Pakistan’s population is affected by diabetes, amounting to 33 million people.
It was further revealed that diabetes can reduce life expectancy by 5 to 10 years. Pakistan ranks as the third-highest country globally in terms of diabetes prevalence, with the disease spreading rapidly across the society.