WINDHOEK– The rising number of cases of diabetes in Namibia is a major concern, a Windhoek based dietician, Juliane Frank-Schultz, says.
Although causes of this chronic illness may vary, lifestyle is a major contributor to the increase of diabetes, adds she. Bad eating habits and lack of exercise contribute to this, Frank-Schultz says. An increase in urination, increased thirst and weigh loss are common indicators that a person may be diabetic, she comments noting that consulting a doctor when this symptoms occur is advisable.
Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood, and thus patients have to rely on treatment for this. Diabetes increases the risk for other diseases such as cardiac vascular diseases, kidneys, eyes and nerves. Diabetes is one of four common chronic non-communicable diseases in the country, according to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MHSS).
In Namibia, diabetes ranks among the top ten diseases and among the top 15 inpatients causes of death, Dr Richard Kamwi, the Minister of Health and Social Services said last November on the occasion of ‘World Diabetes day’. Kamwi said that everyone should involve themselves in order to “focus on our prevention efforts against major known risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, low fruit and vegetable intake, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and high glucose levels so that we can lower the prevalence of chronic diseases including diabetes”.
Talking to New Era this week, Gabriel Kandjengo (82) believes that being diabetic is not a death sentence. Kandjengo was diagnosed with the chronic ailment 28 years ago, and although he is an old now, he believes in healthy living as a way of controlling the disease.
“I was admitted to hospital in 1985 and the doctor told me that I have diabetes and high blood pressure,” he says. Kandjengo who lives in Ongwediva told this reporter that doctors did not give him much information on the diseases and it’s causes. “In the past I used to inject myself (with insulin) but now I just take pills as prescribed by the doctor. I never thought I would live this long because shortly after I was diagnosed, the doctor said I would not live long because I have high blood pressure and diabetes. In 1995 I thought I would die because I had lived so long with the disease but today I am still alive,” the octogenarian says.
Kandjengo adds that he tries by all means to take care of his health. “I don’t eat food that is very salty. To sweeten my food when needed I take the sugar for diabetics and I check my blood sugar levels regularly,” he informs.
He stresses that it is important for diabetics to look after their health. “I have encountered people who say they are diabetic but they still take in the sugar that everybody else eats, and they consume alcohol. So, I tell them to refrain from such habits so that they may live long,” Kandjengo who gives out information on diabetes in his surroundings, says.
By Alvine Kapitako