Health Commissioner, Dr. Inyang Asibong,and the Director General, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu leading the March To Halt Diabetes to mark the World Health Day in Calabar
Cross Riverians, Thursday, in Calabar joined millions of people around the globe to celebrate the 2016 World Health Day with a focus to stop the rise in diabetes globally.
The State Health Ministry in conjunction with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations field offices in the state organized a rally to mark the day with the WHO tagging this years’ celebration as “Halt The Rise; Beat Diabetes”.
The Health Commissioner, Dr. Inyang Asibong, accompanied by the Director General, Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Betta Edu led almost a thousand others in a march from the Health ministry’s headquarters at the Michael Ani secretariat through Leopard Town road, Barracks road, Cultural Center road and terminated at the Etim Edem park where diabetes, malaria and HIV tests were carried out free of charge with drugs administered.
The Commissioner charged all to be conscious of their health and not hesitate to visit any medical facility to check their health status, reiterating that “This administration is passionate about the health of Cross Riverians.” She also charged the people to exercise regularly to “Halt the rise and stop Diabetes.”
The rally was also taken to the aged people’s home in Calabar as well as the Afokang maximum security prison.
This is the first time Diabetes will be the focus point on the World Health Day as it is usually marked on November 14 with the aim of influencing policies that aid to halt the rise of the disease as well as promote awareness about its dangers and how to prevent and manage it.
Information gotten from the WHO website indicate that there are 422 million people living with diabetes in the world with the disease which is classified as a non communicable disease (NCD) responsible for 1.5 million deaths in 2015 alone.