Diabetes and Endocrinology department in collaboration with Diabetic Patients Education section in Imam Abdulrahman Al-Faisal hospital - Dammam held an Exhibition in accordance with World Diabetes Day in Al Rashid Mall - Al Khobar for two days. According to the Regional Executive Director of National Guard Health Affairs - Eastern Region, Dr. Ahmed Al Arfaj,” this event comes within a range of activities which aim to raise awareness and to deliver the necessary medical information to the community.
He said that this event stems from the NGHA vision towards our society, we aim to educate people about the dangers of diabetes and methods of prevention and treatment as well as precautious measures to prevent it among the future generations, as according to international studies, diabetes is the coming danger that threatens the world.
Dr. Ahmed Al Arfaj added:” This event comes after the frightening rise in the number of people who has diabetes compared with statistics and studies conducted 80 years ago. During that period, people with diabetes were not more than 5%, but now it is up to 24 % among adults."
He said: “A recent study confirmed that after the age of 40, it will be possible that one out of two will be Type II diabetic, and pointed out that the causes includes obesity, laziness and unhealthy eating habits, stressing that there is a global frightening increase, however, the Middle East and especially the Gulf region is the most affected areas, rate of infection is expected to double during the next 20 years, if we do not take appropriate preventive measures”.
The Dental Department, Infection Control and Diabetes Education Department - Al Ahsa as well as the Department of Ophthalmology, Social Work, Department of Internal Medicine and Nursing all participated in these activities, which continued for consecutive two days.