Around 100,000 children develop type 1 diabetes in Pakistan: Health experts
"Many children are not diagnosed timely and die within a few days of the onset of the disease"
ISLAMABAD (APP) – Around 100,000 children are estimated to have type 1 diabetes in Pakistan who need insulin for the rest of their lives to live a normal and healthy life.
“Unfortunately, many of them are not diagnosed timely due to lack of awareness among parents and most of the treating physicians,” senior endocrinologists and health experts said on Saturday in a media briefing.
They said sudden weight loss, frequent urination and extreme hunger as well as change in the mood of the children were some of the symptoms of Type 1 diabetes and if such signs and symptoms appear, parents should take their children to trained and qualified physicians and insist for checking the sugar of their child.
“Of the 100,000 children having type 1 diabetes in Pakistan, many are not diagnosed timely and die within a few days of the onset of the disease.
“If parents are aware of symptoms of type 1 diabetes and such children are treated by trained and qualified physicians, their lives can be saved by giving them insulin for the rest of their lives,” diabetologist and head of Changing Diabetes in Children, Prof. Abdul Basit, said.
He said, “Our goal is to reach out to 3000 children whose parents cannot afford insulin throughout the country and provide them free of charge insulin to live a normal and happy life.”
The Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan, Jakob Linulf, also deplored that hundreds of children were dying as their parents didn’t know that their children had Type 1 diabetes and they were not getting the right, which is insulin that could save their lives and help them live a long, healthy and happy life.
“There is a need to tell parents that early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes can save the lives of hundreds of children in Pakistan. There is also a need to train physicians and doctors regarding the proper diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes and put them on insulin as per guidelines”, the ambassador said.
Irum Ghafoor, manager of Changing Diabetes in Children, said they have 16 Changing Diabetes in Children centres in different regions covering all provinces including Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also the federal capital, Islamabad.
“Through these centres, we have enrolled 1,544 children across Pakistan by the end of year 2023. Children living with diabetes who visit these centres have access to free insulin and blood glucose monitoring equipment for better diabetes control”, she said.
