Ghana reels under serious threat

Accra, Nov. 13, GNA - Diabetes is a hidden epidemic detrimental to the health of Ghanaians and the economy, Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, Chairman of Parliamentary Select Committee on Health warned on Tuesday. In a statement in Parliament in Accra to mark World Diabetes Day, Dr Osafo-Mensah urged Ghanaians to give the disease, which so far had no cure a serious consideration.
The Day falls on November 14 and being celebrated under the theme "Diabetes in Children and Adolescents-A Disadvantaged, Vulnerable and Undeserved Communities Worldwide."
Identified as the cause of prolonged ill health in at least 2.2 million Ghanaians, diabetes threatens about 50 per cent of Ghanaian patients.
However, seven out of every 10 new cases screened did not know they had diabetes and diabetes related lower amputation is approximately 44.5 per cent.
The prevalence of "pre-diabetes" in Ghana is 12 per cent and each week, not less than four cases are reported at various hospitals and clinics across the country.
Diabetes is a chronic disease marked by increased blood sugar level due to inadequate insulin (a hormone) produced by the pancreas and diabetics have higher than normal glucose levels and are not necessarily people who eat too much sugar.
The disease is non-communicable but affects both young and old, as other types of the disease occur later in life and with varying treatments.
Symptoms of the disease include feeling of tiredness, frequent passing of urine, constant thirst, blurred vision, itching of skin or genital area and slow healing of cuts and infections. Diabetes has no cure and can lead to complications like diseases, strokes, kidney failures, blindness, amputations and impotence if not properly managed.
Globally, one million people have limbs amputated because of diabetes each year, and it kills nearly four million people annually. Diabetes can also double the likelihood of developing depression. "Mr Speaker, it is worth noting that most current research findings indicate 6.4 per cent as diabetes prevalence which is an increase of 16 fold over 0.4 per cent, the rate recorded soon after independence." "This therefore calls for much attention as given to HIV/AIDS and other epidemics," Dr Osafo-Mensah, a medical practitioner and Member of Parliament for Kwahu South added.
He said however, that the greatest burden of diabetes is felt in developing countries, where it threatened to undermine benefits from improving standards of living.
Dr Osafo-Mensah called for prevention through awareness creation for healthy lifestyles and good eating habits, screening of high-risk groups, incorporating diabetes education into school curricula, advocacy and development of policy directive for the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service to prioritise diabetes programmes in their budget.
Contributing to the statement, Mr Joseph Yieleh Chireh (NDC-Wa West), called for body exercise, the simplest of which was walking and reduction on sugar in-take.
Dr Kwame Ampofo (NDC-South Dayi) described diabetes as " very humiliating disease" because it affected a person's thinking and psyche. He called for the prevention of overweight and periodic laboratory tests to detect the disease.
Mr Stephen Kunsu (NDC-Kintampo North) called for government support for Orthopaedic Centres at Nsawam in the Eastern Region and Duayaw Nkwanta in Brong Ahafo Region. 13 Nov. 07