RIYADH: A ‘Diabetes Detection’ campaign has been launched under the National Diabetes Prevention and Control Program of the Ministry of Health (MoH).
The MoH has joined efforts with the Al-Abeer Medical Group, KIMS Sun City medical centers and the AXA Cooperative Insurance for the drive across the Kingdom, a MoH official said here on Thursday.
Notably, World Diabetes Day is observed annually on Nov. 14. It was introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to the alarming rise of diabetes around the world.
The MoH has intensified its drive against diabetes because the problem is growing at alarming rates, including in the Kingdom as 13.4 percent of the Saudi population aged above 15 years are diabetic.
An official from the Al-Abeer Medical Group said, “We are truly proud to be a part of this noble cause under the patronage of MoH.”
Gary Lewin, CEO of AXA Cooperative Insurance, said, “We are focused on raising awareness regarding early detection of some of the most prevalent health conditions in the modern day society.”
He added: “Our business is to protect people and what we can offer is a unique approach to protection by anticipating health risks.”
He said that as part of the joint campaign, AXA Cooperative will offer free live blood glucose screenings to the public at selected shops and kiosks across the Kingdom. “These kiosks will be attended by experienced nurses provided by Al-Abeer Medical Group and KIMS Sun City Medical Center.”
There are plans to soon launch similar campaigns at Auto Mall in Jeddah, Al-Tahleya Street in Riyadh and Dhahran Mall in Alkhobar, the MoH official said.
‘Diabetes Detection’ campaign launched
