26.11.2013World Diabetes Day Campaign
The 14th of November is the World Diabetes Day. The chronic disease acquires the scale of global epidemic - over 360 million people suffer from diabetes. Every 10 seconds two people become ill with diabetes and one person dies from this disease. Annually seven million people become diabetics, 70 000 of them are children.
According to the statistics, about 500 000 people suffer from diabetes in Bulgaria. However, 40% of people do not know they have diabetes. These statistics and the lack of information were the reasons Center "Amalipe" decided to organize campaigns to fight against diabetes.
The Centers for Community Development, as well as the Local clubs for Community Development, in partnership with the Regional Health Inspectorate organized the celebration of the World Diabetes Day. At this occasion, a campaign was organized by the Center for Community Development of the town of Pavlikeni together with the Pavlikeni municipality, which provided the medical staff for the campaign and the test strips to measure the blood glucose level.
In the municipality of Pavlikeni there are 18 villages and 2 towns. The campaigns were held in the towns of Pavlikeni and Byala Cherkva and in the villages of Batak, Stambolovo and Vurbovka. At about 419 people were included in the campaign-293 women and 126 men, 17.74% of women and 20.80% of men have made their blood sugar measured. People with high standards were advised to visit an endocrinologist to have an individual examination. At about 130 people were included in the campaign of the Local clubs for Community Development of Pavlikeni municipality what constitutes 31.02% of all the participants.
The feedbacks from the citizens who participated in the campaign were positive. They asked Pavlikeni municipality and The Centers for Community Development to organize more similar initiatives of which the people without financial resources can take advantage.
On 14th of November, the Center for Community Development from the town of Dolna Banya, together with Regional Health Inspection for the Sofia region, “Novo Nordisk Pharma” EAD and municipal authorities of the town of Dolna Banya organized a health informational campaign from 16:00 p.m., in the hall of the Historical Museum-Dolna Banya.
During the campaign, following activities were presented to the local community:
· A presentation by specialists from "Novo Nordisk Pharma" EAD and a lecture by Dr. Meri Hristozkova on the causes of diabetes, the specificities of the different forms of diabetes and its treatment;
· A discussion during which the participants had the opportunity to ask questions concerning health problems;
· A free measuring of the blood glucose with a glucometer;
· A provision of health informational materials with practical advice how to alleviate the disease.
Despite the cold weather and rain, dozens of people came to the town of Dolna Banya to attend the meeting. Over 60 people took part in the campaign: students, young people as well as middle-aged people. The participants had the opportunity to take part in a discussion with health specialists who gave them accurate diagnosis and advice concerning the problems with blood sugar. Mrs Nadezhda Grigorova from the Regional Health Inspection of Sofia and Dr. Meri Hristozkova, an endocrinologist specialist, expressed their thanks to moderators, Stoyan Stoyanov and Svetla Karagyozova, for a good organization of the campaign and they shared their willingness to participate to similar events in the future.
The campaign for the World Diabetes Day took part also in the Center for Community Development of the town of Strazhitsa. The health educational materials were distributed in many places.
The campaigns have passed with a strong interest from the part of the Roma community. All of them expressed gratitude to the community moderators and pronounced wishes to have more similar initiatives.
