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Posted: Tuesday 7 November, 2017 at 9:16 AM

Diabetes Association pushing screening in Primary Schools

By: Jermine Abel, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - IN its bid for early detection of people who are at-risk for Diabetes, the St. Kitts Diabetes Association (SDA) has undertaken a number of screening programmes in primary schools.

     

    This comes as statistics show an increase in the number of children coming down with Diabetes and Hypertension, according to Medical Doctor and Public Relations Officer of the SDA, Reginald O’Loughlin.

    He has been championing the cause for adults in St. Kitts and Nevis to change their diets and those of their children. However, that has fallen on deaf ears.

    Dr. O’Loughlin told SKNVibes that they are on a mission of early detection and have since moved to the primary schools, similar to what they did at the secondary level in 2016.

    He lamented that many people do not visit doctors to get screened for Hypertension and Diabetes until they are ill, and that when children are small checks are only made for diseases related to poor nourishment.

    “There is hardly a search for Diabetes and Hypertension in children, but because there seems to be a worldwide increase in the number of juvenile Diabetics – young children with Diabetes – we decided to take the fight into the schools,” he explained.

    It is hoped that a discovery would be made at that early stage of Diabetes or those who are at-risk, especially those who are obese and have bad eating habits, Dr. O’Loughlin stated.

    “When I go to the primary schools, I personally ask the children: ‘What you had for breakfast?’ Especially those who look a bit chubby. When you hear the answers, you realize that the bad diet is there and poverty is also a factor.”

    He disclosed that they have seen a number of at-risk students in the primary schools since conducting their screening, pointing out that it is those who are obese or have a family history.

    With many students recorded as being obese, medical officials are concerned with what that would mean for the Federation in the next five to 10 years.

    The medical officials have projected that if changes are not instituted – whether they be dietary or increased exercises – then there would be a major problem over that time span.

    He explained that one of the things that could be done to get the word out is “repetitive messages”, since many of their public forums highlight the problems and measures that should be taken to alleviate the problems of Diabetes at all levels.

    The medical practitioner noted that the messages must be centered around what young people find attractive, since it is they who are more likely not to list to many of the talk shows.

    “We have to find ways to get it over...with nice messages that would attract the youngsters,” he said.

    It was earlier this year during an SKNVibes interview that O’Loughlin revealed that there is an increase in the number of cases of Diabetes popping up in the Federation.

    Health officials have called on citizen and residents to take their health seriously and to watch their diets, as non-communicable diseases continue to rise in the St. Kitts and Nevis and the wider CARICOM region.
     
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