November 18, 2013
Moldova
A lack of physical exercise, increased stress and excessive consumption of food, alcohol, and cigarettes, causes continuous growth in the number of patients with diabetes and diabetes mellitus. The disease affects people from not only the Czech Republic but in many places around the world such as Moldova.
One of the dangers of the disease is that many patients live with unrecognized diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation, 151 million people suffered from diabetes worldwide in 2000. In 2013, 382 million people were recognized diabetics while about 175 million people more were not diagnosed.
In cooperation with Home Care Association, Caritas Czech Republic organized Diabetes Day 2013 on November 14th, 2013 in the Moldovan capital Chisinau. In several places people were given the opportunity to have their blood sugar levels measured. A gala presentation of the project was held in the business centre, which was financially supported by the Czech Development Agency and will continue until the end of 2014.
November the 14th was chosen because Canadian physician Frederick Bantig (1891), the inventor of insulin for diabetes treatment, was born on that day. The World Health Organization declared the day World Diabetes Day in 1991.
During this important day, Chisinau Caritas and Home Care Association set up four testing and information points where the public could get more familiar with the disease and receive information about the possibility of preventing or delaying the onset of illness. Nurses provided free advice about the disease and measured blood sugar levels for the public. Of the 591 people examined, 202 had increased blood sugar levels. Following this, 5,600 leaflets and other informative materials were handed out which described the first symptoms of the disease and recommendations for preventing the risk of complications.
World Diabetes Day was held in cooperation with other Moldovan organizations and medical facilities such as ProDiab and Medpark, government officials, namely the Minister of Labor, Social Protection, Family Valentina Buliga and the head of the department of health, Mihai Moldovanu among others. The program took part in the Chisinau store MallDova. The gala presentation of the project was also attended by the Czech Ambassador in Moldova, Jaromír Kvapil.
