Hundreds of Moldovans test blood sugar free of charge, informed about diabetes

Chisinau, 14 November /MOLDPRES/ - Hundreds of people today tested their blood sugar and were informed about measures which can be taken against the appearance of diabetes and complications triggered by this disease. The actions took place on the occasion of the World Diabetes Day, held with the title, Women and Diabetes – Our Right to a Sound Future.    

Contacted by MOLDPRES, the head of the Chisinau-based Public Health Centre, Luminita Suveica, said that blood sugar testing points had been organized in the at the Moldovan capital’s city hall, at the Chisinau district praetor’s offices, Diagnosis Consultative Centres, Family Physicians Centres and municipal medical and sanitary public institutions, enterprises, colleges, as well as in drug stores. 

“The actions started at 7:30 and were held till 12:30, as the test is carried out on an empty stomach. It is extremely important, as diabetes does not always have clinical signs. Thus, we urge citizens to go and do such a test. People older than 40, those suffering from obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular, endocrine diseases, or persons who are genetically predisposed to this disease are in the risk group,” Suveica also said.     

According to data by the National Health Management Centre, in 2016, 97,000 people sick with diabetes were registered in Moldova. At the same time, in the first nine months of this year, almost 93,000 persons benefited from fully compensated antidiabetics, which is by 11,000 people more against the same period of the last year. Also, in January-September 2017, almost 94 million lei was allocated for compensated antidiabetics, up by more than ten million lei against the same period of the last year.

In early November, the cabinet approved a national programme on the prevention and control of diabetes for 2017-2021. Under the document, the authorities will improve measures of preventing the diabetes through early diagnosing chronic complications, ceasing their progressing via proper treatment and providing ways of rehabilitation. Among the goals set in the programme, there are also a ten-per cent cut in the number of persons with high risk of developing diabetes and a 20-per cent reduction of the death rate of people with diabetes through cardiovascular diseases.   

As many as 371 million people are presently hit by diabetes worldwide, with another 280 million having an imminent risk of falling sick with this disease. In Moldova, morbidity through diabetes has increased 1.5-fold in the last ten years. At the same time, up to 70 per cent of the type 2 diabetes cases can be prevented by the adoption of a sound lifestyle. 

(Reporter A. Ciobanu, editor M. Jantovan)