The Ministry of Health (MOH), through its strategic plan, is keen to apply the modern methodological and scientific methods, in quest of building a healthy, better community enjoying health and safety. Raising the public health awareness, and reduction of the spread of diseases have been, and will continue to be the among the top priorities of the Government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdulallah bin Abdulaziz, May Allah protect him.
In this context, and under the auspices of his Excellency the Minister of Health, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Rabeeah, the MOH launching the National Program for Diabetes Combat in its first stage, which is to include the entire regions and governorates of the Kingdom. This Program aims at reinforcing and disseminating the general health awareness, and the reduction of disease spread. Thus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has adopted an objective approach in all fields of health-service providing: prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation; through a system of self-contained facilities, in an endeavor to realize a comprehensive health security for all.
Launching this campaign is part of a series of health awareness campaigns which the Ministry of Health launches nationwide, and which comes through the MOH's strategy to improve and develop the health care services at all levels.
The National Executive Plan of Diabetes Control "2010-2020"
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has approved a national ten-year executive plan to control diabetes "2010-2020", as recourse in protecting the Saudi community from this disease. It is the plan which is based upon the full participation of the Government, and the entire private institutions. Also, the plan focuses on increasing and boosting up the health awareness among the Saudi community individuals on diabetes, and the risk factors which increase potential of getting injured with it. It is also to work on developing outdated detection programs and reducing the chances of getting injured with this disease and its complications. Seven major objectives are set for the National Executive Plan:
- First Objective: Primary prevention of the second type diabetes and reduction the injury chance rates with the disease through combatting risk factors leading to getting injured with this disease.
- Second Objective: Secondary prevention of the second type diabetes by way of early detecting the disease and its complications, and preventing it through the good control of blood sugar.
- Third Objective: Developing the quality of the health services through their three levels which are provided to the patients who suffer from diabetes and its complications. This is through unified, new evidence-based treatment to be applied by the medical team during its direct care for diabetics. In doing so, the Ministry aims at guaranteeing high quality in work procedures; through verifying of the quality of these services, and preparing a unified guideline accredited as a reference to get familiarized with the regulations which govern the three health care levels.
- Fourth Objective: Developing detection methods, and following up and evaluating patients through diabetes case registration programs, the scope of conformity to the work quality levels, annual follow-up registers, patient interviews, and patients' health care registers.
- Fifth Objective:Creating and developing the research tools and studies related to the disease.
- Sixth Objective: Enabling diabetics and their families to contribute to controlling diabetes and its complications, participating in the services provided, and evaluating the quality of these services.
- Seventh Objective: Community participation in controlling diabetes
The Saudi National Program of Education against Diabetes:
Pursuant to the National Executive Plan of Diabetes Control, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched the Saudi National Program of Education against Diabetes. This Program works at all levels: the health care officials and professionals, diabetics, and the Saudi public in general. The Program aims at having the health care officials engaged in applying it, and enabling diabetic patients to use treatment tools, which include blood glucosemonitoring devices, diabetes self-care education programs, online training programs, and increasing the general awareness for all the Saudi community segments on diabetes through active community participation.
Number of Specialized Centers:
The Kingdom's number of diabetes specialized centers is 20 centers, pertaining to the Ministry of Health (MOH). In addition, establishing eight new centers is underway, which will add a great deal to the total capacity in the entire Kingdom's regions and governorates. The Ministry of Health (MOH), through the Diabetes Centers and Units Department, under the Hospitals General Department, is keen to provide the best health services for diabetics, promote the health awareness of every person affected by or prone to diabetes in the future, as well as providing the best health and educational services.
Nature and Impact of the Disease:
Diabetes is a chronic disease; it is caused by either the failure of pancreas to produce the insulin hormone in adequate quantity, or the inability of the body to use the insulin which it produces.
There are two types of diabetes; the second-type diabetes makes up 90% of the diabetic patient cases in the Kingdom. And for the most part, unhealthy nutritional habits, lack of exercise, and obesity spread are the causes of the incidence and aggravation of this disease.
Sometimes, diabetes is called "the silent killer", as in most cases, the symptoms of this disease do not abruptly develop. And it could go unnoticed for a long time. In addition to this, sharp blood glucose rise, the common result of not controlling diabetes inside the body over time, leads to causing serious damage for several organs of the body, especially the nerves and blood vessels.
Over time, diabetes can cause damage to the heart, blood vessels, eye, kidney, and nerves, aside from increasing the risk of getting injured with cardiac diseases and strokes. Also, diabetic retinopathy is one of the main reasons leading to blindness; it is caused as a result of the long term accumulation of the harm which the small blood vessels in retina sustain. Thus, living with diabetes for 15 years afflicts 2% of the patients with blindness, and over 10% is afflicted with serious cases of visual impairment. And over 80% of diabetic deaths take place in the low and medium income countries.
There is a case known as "the diabetic foot"; it is characterized by sensual impairment, unhealed ulcers, osteomalacia, gangrene, and other complications resulting from nerve damage; and lack of blood flow in foot, as a result of diabetes.
Magnitude of the Problem:
The estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its statistics of 2012, which the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) published, show that over 371 million persons are injured with this disease around the world. It is expected that, by 2030, this number will double if the necessary measures are not taken to face it. They also confirm that more than a million extremity amputation cases are conducted every year all over the world.
It is thought that it is possible to avoid approximately 85% of these cases in case of providing the proper medical care in early stage.
Domestically, it turned out that 28% of Saudi diabetics belong to the 30-and-over age group, while the percentage of diabetics in the community as a whole was placed at 14,1%. Further, the genetic factor plays a great role to the effect that it accounts for 60% to 80% of the diabetes incidence. Also, the first-type diabetes, which inflicts children, results from a genetic disorder which occurs to children while being formed, and heredity has nothing to do with the injury. Dealing with the second type which inflicts children can be reversed through the healthy, sound methods such as losing weight and exercising.
Prevention:
Following simple measures can improve lifestyles, and, Allah willing, prevent from diabetes or hold back its symptoms; such as maintaining a healthy weight within natural limits, at least 30 minutes of daily exercise, following a healthy diet containing three to five meals of fruits and vegetables daily, reducing the intake of sugar and saturated fats, as well as avoiding smoking, as it increases the risk of getting injured with the cardiovascular diseases. As such, the Health Awareness and Media Information Center of the Ministry of Health has designated the toll-free line: 800-2494444; to answer the callers' questions with regard to diabetes and other diseases; as well as receiving their questions at the MOH Twitter account (@saudimoh).
World Diabetes Day:
The Ministry of Health (MOH) shares the world in celebrating the World Diabetes Day; to achieve the general objectives, as manifested in reinforcing and implementing the prevention and control policies of the diabetes and its complications, advocating and spreading the national initiatives aiming at combating diabetes and its complications, demonstrating the importance of the evidence-based education in treating diabetes and preventing from its complications, increasing the awareness of the warning signs of getting injured with diabetes, encouraging early diagnosis, boosting work on limiting the risk factors of the second type diabetes, and reinforcing work on preventing or holding back the diabetes complications. Thus, the Ministry of Health (MOH) constantly seeks to enrich the world awareness of diabetes and its incidence rates, which are still increasing all over the world, as well as how to put an end to the spread of the disease.
National Reference of Educating Diabetics:
The Infectious Diseases General Department of the Ministry of Health has released the National Reference of Educating Diabetics. It is a directory tackling diabetes, known since ancient times, and which has been always one of the killing diseases.
It includes an overview of diabetes, and the role of education and training in treating this disease, familiarizing with its types, relation between pregnancy and diabetes, treatment types, and its severe complications. Then, it moves on to the relation of diabetes with sight problems as well as its relation with atherosclerosis, sexual matters, and stomach problems. The book further provides tips for diabetic patients during travel, instructions to be followed during fasting, and the preparations which the diabetic patients should make during the Hajj. Finally, the directory addresses the school life of the child injured with diabetes.