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Nov 24, 2011

New partnership launched to tackle diabetes in Qatar

Diabetes is on the rise in Qatar and poses a serious threat to the health of the nation. According to  new data released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Qatar has one of the highest rates of diabetes prevalence in the region – 20.2% of the population now has diabetes, IDF estimates.

As a response to this global threat, a project aiming to tackle the spread of diabetes in Qatar was launched today in Doha. ‘Action on Diabetes’ is a partnership between Supreme Council of Health, the Hamad Medical Corporation, the Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA), Maersk Oil and Novo Nordisk. The aim is to raise awareness of diabetes, advise on how to prevent it and support people already living with diabetes manage their health better. 

Dr Abdulla Al Hamaq of QDA said at the launch, “We’re very concerned about the rise of diabetes in Qatar, where levels are already amongst the highest in the world. We’re really delighted to be getting the support of Maersk Oil and Novo Nordisk in our efforts to tackle the problem. I feel optimistic that ‘Action on Diabetes’ can help us make a significant impact on diabetes in Qatar”.

 

In a recent survey conducted by Ipsos Emirates Health on behalf of Maersk Oil and Novo Nordisk, over a third of respondents were at risk of developing diabetes and had a poor understanding of related complications; eg only 36% of respondents at high risk of developing diabetes agreed that having a high body mass index increases the risk.

“We believe that awareness combined with prevention, early detection, better disease management and education can make a significant difference. We will be applying our expertise and advice from the rest of the world to contribute to ‘Action on Diabetes’ in Qatar, said Mads Bo Larsen, Novo Nordisk’s vice president for Africa, Gulf and India.”

In a comment to the new partnership, Lewis Affleck, managing director of Maersk Oil in Qatar said, “We’re concerned that diabetes is threatening the health of our staff, their families, and the wider population. We want to help our workforce and their communities live healthy lives. ‘Action on Diabetes’ is our opportunity to provide some practical assistance to those already tackling these important challenges in Qatar”.

The focus of ‘Action on Diabetes’ will be to understand the current status of the condition in Qatar, assess levels of awareness, and design a programme of work that will help those at risk avoid the condition, and those who are already diagnosed manage their health better.

For more information on ‘Action on Diabetes’, please visit www.action-on-diabetes.qa

 

Further information:

Tania Sabroe
Media Relations Manager
Tel +45 3075 5677
email: tsbo@novonordisk.com