ISLAMABAD – It is estimated that about 100,000 children in Pakistan are suffering from type 1 diabetes and need insulin for the rest of their lives to live a normal and healthy life.
“Unfortunately, many of them are not diagnosed in time due to lack of awareness among parents and most treating doctors,” senior endocrinologists and health experts said at a media press conference on Saturday.
They said that sudden weight loss, frequent urination and extreme hunger as well as mood swings in children are some of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes and if such signs and symptoms appear, parents should take their children to trained and qualified doctors and insist on it. for checking your child’s sugar.
“Of the 100,000 children who have type 1 diabetes in Pakistan, many are not diagnosed early and die within days of the onset of the disease.
“If parents are aware of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes and such children are treated by trained and qualified doctors, their lives can be saved by giving them insulin for the rest of their lives,” diabetologist and head of Changing Diabetes in Children prof. Abdul Basit, he said.
He said: “Our aim is to reach 3,000 children whose parents cannot afford insulin across the country and provide them with free insulin to live a normal and happy life.”
Ambassador of Denmark to Pakistan Jakob Linulf also lamented that hundreds of children are dying because their parents did not know that their children had type 1 diabetes and were not getting the right insulin which could save their life and help them. they live long, healthy and happy lives.
“Parents need to be told that early diagnosis of type 1 diabetes can save the lives of hundreds of children in Pakistan. There is also a need to train doctors and nurses on the correct diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and put them on insulin as directed,” the ambassador said.
Irum Ghafoor, manager of Changing Diabetes in Children said they have 16 Changing Diabetes in Children centers in different regions covering all provinces including Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and also the federal capital Islamabad.
“Through these centers, we have registered 1,544 children across Pakistan by the end of 2023. Children living with diabetes who attend these centers have access to free insulin and blood glucose monitoring equipment for better diabetes control,” she said.
