Massive advocacy for diabetes control launch

The Philippine Center for Diabetes Education Foundation, Inc. embarks on massive advocacy campaign against diabetes. It recognizes diabetic patients through an Achievers Award for maintaining the disease without complication.

Dr. Tommy T. Willing, president of Philippine Diabetic Association (PDA) in a press conference at SM City Davao said the cases of diabetes is increasing and alarming where one of five adult population has diabetes.

He said the incidence is prevalent in Asia Pacific and in the coming years saying the bulk will be in this region and that includes the Philippines and this has something to do with genetic and lifestyle of people.

Data shared by Dr. Willing that he presented in Kyoto, Japan at the Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes among others showed that among the diabetic patients in the Philippines, 50.4 percent employed while 45.9 percent unemployed with those employed belonging to the income bracket of P5,000 to P10,000.

He said once the person with diabetes develops complication, the treatment is costly not included plus the high maintenance drugs that those under the low income bracket could not afford.

Same data showed that of those with diabetes, 30 percent pay their consultation fees while 29 percent is shouldered by the family or 60 percent of those surveyed pay their own fees with only 18 percent of them are shouldered by government and 14 percent by the industry.

With insurance, only one percent of them are covered and most of the expenses are borned out by the family and own self of 80 percent and a low of 11 percent by the industry sector.

Willing likewise said even with the symptoms, people still are into denial stage and mabuti pa ang langgam alam (the ant knows better) because it attacks urine, an indication that it is high in sugar.

He said cost for diabetes could either be direct which includes cost of care and prevention and indirectly due to loss of productivity and income. The other costs could be psychosocial or the intangible ones like pain, anxiety and loss of quality of life the moment complications sets in.

The PDA he said has beefed up its campaign and with the Diabetes Achievers Award this could motivate other people to take appropriate action. Although there is no cure of the disease, it could be controlled, he said.

"This will motivate other patients and realize that they could still live normal lives," he said.

In Davao City there are several awardees that will be conferred with the award on July 17, 2009 either bronze for maintaining the diseases without complication between 10 to 19 years, silver, for 20 to 29 years and gold medallon for 30 years and above.

Davao gold awardee Kaiben So who was diagnosed at age 23 with diabetes, since then has controlled the disease up to this time that he is 53 years old.

"I just religiously follow what the doctor tells me and by monitoring regularly my blood sugar plus exercise and eating the right food," he said.

But So told Dr. Willing that there has to be action taken on the cost for laboratory exams on Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) because the low income patients cannot afford it.

Willing said the PDA is studying areas where this could be given appropriate concern even as he said that they are calling on government to also put more support on this. Although the government has included diabetes in their program the support is still minimal, he added.