Diabetes ails Sri Lankan society

Around 15 percent of the Sri Lankan society suffer from diabetes and it was only 10 percent in 2006. The prevalence of diabetes among adults in urban areas is around 20 or 25 percent, Senior Lecturer in Medicine attached to the University of Colombo and Consultant Endocrinologist and Diabetologist Dr. Prasad Katulanda said.

Addressing a press conference held in Colombo yesterday, he said the country should be educated on preventing and controlling diabetes to overcome the high burden of disease. It is not adequate to educate the people once in a while, he said.

Prominent Endocrinologist and Diabetologist. Dr. Noel Somasundaram said diabetes is the biggest health issue in the country in this era and it has become an epidemic due to the way of bringing up children. Parents bring up children just like broiler chicken. The children develop diabetes at age eight, nine or ten.

They have to take drugs to control cholesterol at a very young age. They never play and physically active.

Consultant Endocrinologist and President of the Sri Lanka Collage of Endocrinologists Dr. Manilka Sumanatilleke said the current prevalence of diabetes in Colombo is around 20 to 25 percent and it is around 10 percent in rural areas. All efforts should be made to prevent increasing diabetes in rural areas.

The awareness raising activities should be based on food, exercises and screening.