The Soufriere Primary School won the first ever National Primary Schools’ Diabetes Quiz competition amongst primary schools on the island. Bringing the trophy to the school was Shanil Solomon.
Organizers told THE VOICE this week, that the event was a resounding success, adding that it was the first of its kind in St. Lucia.
Held on World Diabetes Day, (Nov. 14), the St. Lucia Diabetes and Hypertension Association hopes “to make it an annual event… to raise awareness about diabetes among young students.”
According to the Association, the response from participating schools underscored the importance of educating youth about diabetes prevention and management.
“The finals showcased not only the knowledge and awareness gained by the students but also their enthusiasm and commitment to promoting a healthier community. Media coverage for the event was extensive as it was carried live by the Government Information Service. We believe that sharing our success with a wider audience would further amplify the message of diabetes awareness,” a rep. from the Association said.
Worldwide, the number of people living with diabetes has increased from 108 million to 420 million in the last thirty years; 62 million people with diabetes are in the Region of the Americas, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
This number has increased over three-fold in the Region since 1980 and could be even higher since 40% of people living with diabetes are unaware of their condition and undiagnosed.
“People living with diabetes are at higher risk of severe illness and death from other diseases,” the organization said.
“Halting the rise in diabetes is possible and goes hand in hand with implementing strategies such as:
– Prevention of diabetes and its risk factors, especially overweight/obesity and insufficient physical activity.
– Screening for diabetes in the general population and closely monitoring the population at risk.
– Improving the diagnostic capacity of health services for diabetes. Continuous monitoring of people living with diabetes.
– The capacity for referral and care at the secondary health care level.
– Access to quality diabetes education, which guarantees adequate training for the healthcare team, people living with diabetes, their immediate environment, their caregivers, and society in general.
– Access to essential diabetes medicines and technologies, including insulin.
– Information systems for data collection for monitoring and surveillance of diabetes.
The change caused by the COVID-19 pandemic makes it essential to integrate evidence-based digital solutions, such as telemedicine and educational and monitoring applications in diabetes health care.
Diabetes care should be part of preparedness and response to health emergencies. People living with diabetes must be guaranteed the uninterrupted availability of their medicines in situations of this type,” PAHO added.