Campaign to prevent diabetes gets a boost

Campaign to prevent diabetes gets a boost

JAKARTA: The government and certain community organizations
are intensifying a campaign to curb the growth in the number of
people suffering diabetes, which now accounts for 8.6 percent of
the country's population, or around 17 million people.

Health minister Siti Fadilah Supari said on Saturday that
Indonesia ranked only below India, China and the United States in
terms of diabetes prevalence rate.

"The government, in cooperation with related medical
professional organizations and the Association of Indonesian
Diabetes, are familiarizing preventive measures in the community
and taking efforts to reduce medical fees for the sufferers,"
Siti told the association's congress here.

The campaign, she said, shall target high risk groups by
encouraging them to follow a healthy lifestyle. Sufferers shall
be encouraged to get free regular checks of blood sugar and
protein in their urine and eyes, as well as treatment of
complications of the disease, including hypertension and stroke.
-- Antara