NGOs Task Ondo Govt To Create Drugs Accessibility For People Living With Diabetes

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

Three non-governmental organisations, Elixir foundation, Kids & Teens Resource Centre and Global Help Trust foundation (GloHELP) at the weekend held free diabetes test for no fewer than fifty families in Ondo state.

It would be recalled that the theme for 2019 World Diabetes Day is, ‘The Family and Diabetes’.

The free diabetes test which was held at the Aponmu community Basic Health Centre, in Akure South Local Government Area of the state was organised to help those living with diabetes in the state.

Speaking with journalists, the Executive Director, Kids & Teens Resource Centre, Mrs. Folasade Bamigboye said the purpose of the exercise was to create awareness around diabetes, in oder to help those that are not gotten the deadly diseases also to help those living with diabetes.

Mrs. Bamigboye stated the importance of enlighting people about their health and why they must care about their health, pointing out that only people with good health can be productive in society.

She encourages people to always do their diabetes test and the likes adding that early diagnosed of it helps a lot in taking care of it.

Her words, “The best way to do this is to educate people, younger once on the kind of the food they take, how they can manage it and early detection of it is very important.

“In view of this, families have a big role to play in preventing this disease, and that is why we are here in Aponmu to educate them and carry out free diabetes test.

“We want government to create access for those people living with diabetes, when any member of the family comes with diabetes it affects the everybody and it will take more financial bothering on them, they will be spending a lot of money to get drugs but if the government can make this drugs available for them it would also goes a long ways in helping families in the state.

“I will advise families to watch what they eat, because 90% of diabetes cases will have today is cause by the way we leave, lifestyle. So I will advise people to eat healthy by taking enough of fruits, vegetables, by doing regular exercise and managing weight.

“We are calling on Ondo state government to help families already with diabetes because if anyone in the family has this disease it would affect everybody in term of financial bothering. So we want the government to make diabetes drugs accessible for those that are already with diabetes. Government should support them by make them have access to this drugs either freely or in a subsides rate that will not be too much for them to avoid”.

Similarly, Tomisin Omodara, Programme Officer, Elixir foundation and Faith Oladele of Global Help Trust foundation (GloHELP), said it was very important for everyone to know their diabetes status.

They however implored Ondo state government to help the organisations by supporting them saying there are so many families, communities, villages needs assistance and organizations could not do it alone.

“Government at all levels should always brings programmes to peoples door step in each health centre across the 18 local government area of Ondo state for people to know their health status. Government should provide drugs for them and they must have access to it so that they can live healthy lifestyle.

“People should always be checking their health status too at any closet government health centres”.

A beneficiary, Mr. Ayoola Faleye, thanked the organizations for the initiative and called on them to continue the exercise saying it would goes along way in not having the deadly disease.

Another beneficiary, Chief Ayodele Joshua, the Lisa of Aponmu land, urged the Ondo state government to always bring kind of the programme to peoples door-step saying it would be an encouragement for organizations wishes to do more.

While enlightening students of Just Once Model College, off FUTA junction, Akure on the deadly disease, Mr. Austin Omogiate, from Kids & Teens foundation said over 425 million people are currently living with diabetes.

According to him, most of these cases are type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable through regular physical activity, a healthy and balanced diet, and the promotion of healthy living environments.

Omogiate who advised the students to always be watching over what they eat saying families have a key role to play in addressing the modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes and must be provided with the education, resources and environments to live a healthy lifestyle.

He said the aim is to raise awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family and support network of those affected, as well as promoting the role of the family in the management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.