Quarter of population diabetes sufferers

Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: A quarter of the total Sri Lankan population (around 4.8 million) suffer from diabetes, a recent survey has revealed. The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spends Rs.2 million per day for the total amount of drugs required for diabetics, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry sources said.

The sources said that the total number of tablets required for diabetic patients per day is around 10 million.

In the past diabetic patients were reported mostly from urban areas but diabetic patients are now found from rural areas in large numbers.

The Ministry has to spend around Rs.5 million to open and operate one diabetic centre at a rural hospital.

According to the findings of a recent survey conducted by Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry, the number of child diabetic patients found in Colombo schools is on the rise.

Most of them are overweight and suffer from Type 2 diabetes resulting from eating artificial instant food, sugary food and artificial soft drinks available in school canteens and given by parents.

The lack of physical activity is another factor.

Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has planned to restore traditional food habits which prevent diabetes.

The Ministry will also make arrangements soon to implement a special diabetes prevention programme coordinating with the line ministries.

Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva will present a Cabinet Paper in this regard. Public interest is the most important thing in this regard, the sources said.

The Sri Lankan population has been subjected to diabetes due to drifting away from traditional food patterns, lack of physical activities, excessive consumption of flour, use of artificial and sugary food and stress.

Diabetes leads to other health problems such as heart and kidney aliments, strokes, high blood pressure, blindness and amputation of legs.