Thyolo district hospital has intensified awareness and sensitizations on diabetes in order to encourage people to get tested for the disease.
On November, Thyolo Hospital embarked on diabetes testing exercise in some of the health facilities in the district and a total of 450 people were tested at Thekerani, Khonjeni,Chisoka and Didi health facilities,out of which 33 people,in total, were tested diabetes positive.
Health promotion officer for Thyolo hospital, Fanuel Makina said as a district hospital they have plans to spread diabetes messages to the hard to reach areas saying lack of knowledge on diabetes makes people not to go for diabetes testing.
“Of course world diabetes day fall on 14 November every year, we are intensifying awareness and sensitizations on diabetes and we have plans to extend services to other places in a bid to bring them close to the people in the district.
“We will also soon start having the diabetes and other tests on quarterly basis so that people should know their status because it is good for somebody to know his or her status as the saying goes ‘Moyo ndi Mpamba, Usamalileni’. Therefore, it is good for somebody to start treatment early than late. Diabetes is dangerous if not timely treated,” said Makina.
Makina further said that as of now, Thyolo district hospital has fallen short of testing materials such as Glucometers and Glucose sticks which is a great concern in as far as fighting against diabetes is concerned.
Malawi has recorded 270,000 people suffering from diabetes whereas Thyolo district has over 700 people with diabetes disease as of August 2020.
However, according to the STEPS Survey of 2017, it is revealed that 2 out of every 100 people suffer from diabetes in Malawi.
