World Diabetes Awareness Day 2023

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) estimates that 1 in every 10 people have Diabetes or Pisa Dou, as it is commonly called in St. Lucia. Left untreated or poorly treated, Diabetes affects the whole body, leading to the damage of the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels. This damage leads to complications such as heart attacks, strokes, Kidney failure, blindness, foot amputations and eventual death.

In St. Lucia, Diabetes has consistently been among the 4 leading causes of death. Over the past decade, it is estimated to affect more than 10% of St. Lucians, with Type 2 Diabetes, accounting for most of the cases seen.

The theme for this year’s World Diabetes Day is “Know your Risk, Know your Response”. The IDF estimates that 537 million people worldwide currently have Diabetes but only half of these persons are aware that they are Diabetic.

This year’s theme is a call to action to all St. Lucians to get tested to know their risk for Diabetes. Knowing one’s risk of getting a disease like Diabetes allows the individual to plan what to do for early prevention, early diagnosis, and early treatment.

Type 2 Diabetes, which is generally a lifestyle disease, can be prevented or delayed with healthy lifestyle changes such as keeping physically active, eating a healthy diet, avoiding smoking and losing weight if overweight.

In St. Lucia, screening for Diabetes is free at all wellness centres. Also available in wellness centres and online is a very short survey, called the FINDRISC Diabetes Risk calculator, which assesses the risk of an individual developing Type 2 Diabetes.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness & Elderly Affairs encourages all St Lucians to know your status when it comes to Diabetes. Are you at risk? If so, what can be done to prevent or delay the onset of Diabetes.

If you are diabetic and not aware, knowing your status and risk can allow for early treatment to prevent complications. Currently, many of our healthcare professionals and community members are trained in teaching diabetics and those at risk for Diabetes to manage and lower their risk of disease and complications at home. We offer a six-week programme, the Self-Management Programme, that equips diabetics or at-risk individuals and their family members with the knowledge they need to maintain healthy lifestyle practices. Call your nearest wellness centre to register. The course is free and is offered virtually and face-to- face.

This year, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Elderly Affairs has partnered with the Taiwan Mission, the St Lucia Hypertension & Diabetes Association and Massy Stores to commemorate Diabetes Awareness in the month of November. In addition to providing access to Diabetes education and screening at our wellness centres, multiple screening sites will be set up island wide to improve access.

We will also host an All-Things Diabetes Health fair on November 28th at the Constitution park in Castries, where there will be healthy food demonstrations and tasting, games, and prizes to be won. We look forward to having St. Lucians participate.

As we commemorate World diabetes day, we challenge all St. Lucians to become part of the solution. While Diabetes and its complications can lead to death and disability, Diabetes and its complications can also be delayed and even prevented by knowing one’s risk and responding by making lifestyle changes and maintaining these.