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