The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Health Experts at a seminar on Saturday said the number of diabetic patients aged over 20 will stood at 7.5 million people in the country by 2025.

They said, the prevalence of diabetic patients aged over 20 in the country in 2007 was four million.

The health experts disclosed this while addressing at the seminar titled 'Diabetes and Responsibilities' at the Jatiya Press Club here.

Eminence, a non-government development organisation in association with Square Pharmaceuticals Limited organised the seminar.

President of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh (DAB) Prof AK Azad Khan addressed the seminar as the chief guest while Dr MA Sabur presided over it.

Additional Director General of Directorate General of Health Service Dr Hosne Ara Tahmin, Prof Fatima Parveen Chowdhury, Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital Prof AR Khan, Prof Hasina Banu and Prof of Medicine of Shaheed Suhrawardi Hospital Prof Ridwanur Rahman, among others, addressed the seminar.

Assistant Director of Eminence Dr Sultana Monira presented the keynote paper.

Diabetic patients are increasing globally at an alarming rate, Prof AK Azad said adding life style, food habit and other environmental factors are responsible for diseases like diabetes.

Prof Azad said, "We may not be able to eliminate diabetes as it transmitted genetically, so we need to pay attention to check the danger of the disease."

Describing diabetes as a fatal disease, Dr Hosne Area Tahmin urged both the government and non- government sector to work together for prevention of the disease.

Prof AR Khan said the number of diabetic patients including the infants are increasing due to urbanisation in the country.

He said "We have to pay more attention to healthcare of the children in order to keep them free from diseases including diabetes". Many children suffer from diabetes due to food habits, lifestyle and lack of facilities for physical exercise, he added.

Other speakers stressed the need for creating awareness among the people by disseminating messages about diabetes.

Describing health education as part of treatment, they said heath education should be incorporated in the curriculum for raising awareness about the disease.

In her keynote presentation, Dr Sultana Monira said the number of deaths attributable to complications of diabetes in the world is around 3.2 million every year.

She said Bangladesh is one of the top 10 countries having people suffering from diabetes.