By Cindy Basha
By Cindy Basha
Rabat – The Moroccan Ministry of Health launched a national campaign on November 14, World Diabetes Day, to control the spread of diabetes, as an estimated 2 million Moroccan adults have this disease.
Managing diabetes costs the government anywhere from 6,000 to 10,000 dirhams per person per year to treat individuals with the disease, according to the National Fund for Social Protection (CNOPS). In 2013, diabetics in Morocco spent 379 million dirhams managing the disease and its side effects, such as hypertension.
Diabetes is the primary cause of vision loss and limb amputation in Morocco, according to CNOPS.
The Ministry will use radio advertisements and posters to spread inform to the public on preventing and managing the disease. There will also be a drive to screen 500,000 people each year for diabetes, as the government estimates that half of all diabetes patients in Morocco are un-diagnosed.
The government will also promote the importance of regular exercise and a balanced diet in managing the disease.
The League Marocain de la Lutte Contre le Diabetes (LMLCD), an association that represents the rights and resources of Moroccan diabetics, also emphasized the importance of managing the disease. They have also worked to uphold diabetics’ right to treatment and ensure government funding goes into diabetes research.
The United States has taken similar measures to manage diabetes, as roughly 29.1 million Americans have it, representing 9.3 percent of the population, according to the US Centers for Disease Control. Diabetes awareness campaigns in the United States highlight ways patients can manage the disease, as well as the consequences of poor diet, such as kidney failure.
