SCDA warns against increasing rates of juvenile diabetes in Sudan

March 12, 2016 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Childhood Diabetes Association (SCDA) on Saturday has expressed deep concern over the high incidence of diabetes among children in Sudan.

SCDA chairman Mohamed Ahmed Abdallah said that 60% of deaths among children in Sudan are caused by non-communicable diseases including diabetes.

Abdallah, who spoke at the opening session of the 7th conference of the African Diabetes Association in Khartoum, pointing that 4,700 cases of endocrine and iodine deficiency were registered at the Sudanese Center for Childhood Diabetes (SCCD).

He added that the SCCD also received 2,700 cases of juvenile diabetes, pointing to additional cases in the various Sudanese states.

Abdallah said the conference would discuss 50 scientific papers besides presenting the experiences of the African countries in addressing problems of iodine deficiency and insulin storage besides the rates of childhood diabetes.

He pointed that the conference would offer recommendations for the various African governments, saying the childhood diabetes hospital would be inaugurated within few weeks.

In December 2011, the Journal of Science and Technology published a study about the increase of Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent) cases among children in Sudan.

The study, which covered the reported cases of diabetes mellitus (chronic or lifelong) in Sudan from 2005 to 2007, found that most of the positive results are among poor and very poor families.

“The classified 4 groups of socio- economic status of diabetic patients which are, very good, middle, low and very low were found to be 5%, 10%, 17% and 67%, respectively,” says the study.

For his part, Sudan’s First Vice President Bakri Hassan Salih expressed the readiness of the presidency to review the health policies according to the ongoing state reform programme, pointing to doubling the funding for the health projects.

Salih, who addressed the conference, instructed the concerned bodies to complete the construction of the childhood diabetes center, directing the health and finance ministries to increase the spending on the health sector.

Sudan’s minister of health Bahar Idris Abu Garda said his ministry would offer the equipments for the childhood diabetes centre, pointing the provided the necessary support for the diabetic children at the centre.

He vowed to exert the necessary efforts to implement the outcome of the conference.

(ST)