The National Action Plan on Sugar Reduction Coalition (NASR) has urged the government to implement critical measures on World Diabetes Day, including raising taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, appointing diabetes desk officers in state health ministries, and eliminating tariffs on diabetes treatment goods.<\/p>\n
The call was made during an exhibition themed “Know Your Risk, Know Your Response” held in Abuja to commemorate World Diabetes Day on November 14. The NASR coalition emphasized the need for immediate steps to address the rising concerns surrounding diabetes, advocating for free diabetes screening in public facilities and directing tax revenue towards subsidizing diabetes care across the country.<\/p>\n
Dr. Mohammed Alkali, President of the Diabetes Association of Nigeria, emphasized the urgency of taking action to prevent diabetes and ensure quality healthcare access. He stressed that the current economic situation in Nigeria makes prevention the most cost-effective option.<\/p>\n
During a panel session moderated by Prof. Felicia Anumah, Director of the Centre for Diabetes Studies at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, it was highlighted that the economic challenges in Nigeria contribute to increased inaccessibility to medicines, leading to more diabetes complications, strokes, kidney failures, and amputations.<\/p>\n
Panelists, who were individuals living with diabetes, shared their experiences, with Don Ejiro revealing the challenges of accessing drugs, citing a significant increase in the cost of some diabetes medicines throughout the year.<\/p>\n
Dr. Adamu Umar, co-chairman of the NASR coalition and president of the Nigerian Cancer Society, pointed out that Nigeria bears the highest burden of diabetes in Africa. He emphasized the need for policymakers to raise awareness about lifestyle factors contributing to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes.<\/p>\n
Umar stated, “An event like this is an eye-opener for policymakers to do the needful and increase awareness on what we eat, drink, and do to reduce the burden of NCDs, especially diabetes which has a lot to do with our lifestyles. We want proper implementation of the agreed tax to better the lives of diabetes patients.”<\/p>\n
The NASR coalition, comprised of health organizations, continues to advocate for policy measures to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, recognizing their link to non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and hypertension.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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