THE NATION, SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012
20 •Continued from Page 19 At the Federal Medical Centre, EbuteMetta, Lagos, a large number of patients numbering over 30 could be seen on a mild morning last month, waiting calmly for their turn to see the doctor. Though of different backgrounds, ages and occupations, they all had one thing in common: diabetes. “Many of them have been coming here for sometime for treatment while others are new patients,” a nurse who declined to be named told The Nation. Upstairs, on the first floor of the hospital, little Michael (12), was in a pitiable state. At an age when his mates are either in school or engaged in various activities the young are known for, the JSS 1 student is bedridden in a sterile hospital ward. Some months earlier, he was disgnosed with diabetes (Type 1) also called insulindependent diabetes or juvenile diabetes. The ailment has affected his big toe which has been cut off, leaving a bandaged stump. “The doctor said it was to prevent gangrene from affecting the whole leg,” his father, Eruka Masoga, who sat besides the young boy stated. Besides the cost of the hospital bill which keeps piling up each day, there’s the special diet that Michael has been placed on by the doctor. “He can’t eat certain foods anymore like starchy foods and the doctor recommended more fresh foods like vegetables, fruits and fish,” said Masoga. He said his son hates these foods and it was always a struggle between him and his mother whenever it was meal time. “This is a boy that used to like snacks a lot but those foods are off-limits now,” he noted. Gone too soon In the past, such ailments like diabetes, stroke, renal failure, liver problems, high blood pressure and some others used to be associated with elderly people or the middle-aged. Not anymore. Like an epidemic, these diseases are increasing progressively everyday not just among the old but younger people as well. Figures from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF which is affiliated to the WHO) show that 78,000 children develop type 1 diabetes every year while worldwide, 366 million people (all ages) had diabetes in 2011. This figure is expected to rise to 552 million by 2030. So, what is fuelling this epidemic in diabetes and other diseases? Health expects have attributed this to certain factors such as lifestyle, genetics among others. “High fat diet, being overweight, physical inactivity, high alcohol consumption, age and cigarette smoking are factors that can cause diabetes,” stated Dr Taiwo Fadeyi of F and G Hospital, Lagos. According to him, there are three major types of diabetes namely Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM). He added that the first two are the most common with Type 1 being the most prevalent among the young. Indeed, Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. This type of diabetes, also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, accounts for 10-15 percent of all people with the disease. Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common endocrine and metabolic conditions in childhood and the number of children developing this form of diabetes is increasing rapidly, especially among the youngest children. Said Dr Adesunlowe Oladokun of the Federal Medical Centre, Lagos: “Diabetes is the presence of abnormally high amounts of sugar in the blood stream. There is indeed an increase in diabetes in young people. In the case of this group, Type I occurs due to the absence of insulin in the pancreas. But in type 2, there is some insulin.” It is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan. For many children and even adolescents, coping with diabetes can be extremely difficult. Managing the disease, especially with regular insulin use and blood glucose monitoring, physical activity and a healthy diet can be a regimen too strict and difficult for a young person to cope with. Besides, for the family of a child with diabetes, especially in low-income families, access to self-care tools, including selfmanagement education and also to insulin, is limited and this, combined with the daily
Diabetes, renal failure, hypertension take toll on the young
•Mozzyx
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It is triggered by environmental factors such as viruses, diet or chemicals in people genetically predisposed. People with type 1 diabetes must inject themselves with insulin several times a day and follow a careful diet and exercise plan...
needs of a child with diabetes may place a serious financial and emotional burden on the whole family. In some cases, it can lead to physical disability and even death. That was what happened to young Chika (surname withheld) a few years ago. The teenager, who was in JSS 111 at the time of her tragic death, had suffered from insulindeficient diabetes for years. She finally
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succumbed to the disease due to poor management. Sources close to the family of the bright student informed The Nation that Chika relapsed in the strict diet she had been placed on to manage the ailment. Unknown to her family, the young girl had been secretly taking her favourite snack-garri soaked in water with sugar and eaten with coconut. Apart from taking sugar, one of the food items
•Oke John she was supposed to avoid, she was also not taking her insulin shots regularly. The result was that her condition worsened leading to her premature death, aged just 14. Managing the scourge Those with diabetes are forced to live with the disease for life as there is no cure for it. “It can be managed but can’t be cured,” asserted .Oladokun. Management includes insulin injections (especially in Type 1), checking of blood sugar level, special diet, moderate exercise and others. Sometimes though, more advanced treatment is required when the patient’s life
Adebayo Sokunbi is the Operations Director of Kidney Consultants International, a non-profit organisation devoted to preventive education and screening of Nigerians for kidney failure. He is also council member of the International Federation of Kidney Foundations. He is currently on the board of Kidney Clinics Nigeria Limited,operators of the Abeokuta Dialysis Center. GBENGA ADERANTI had an encounter with him. Excerpts:
•Sokunbi
‘Most people don’t know they have hypertension and diabetes until they undergo tests’