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DPH brings NMI’s diabetes problems to WHO meeting
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Posted on May 02 2001
Joining 37 other countries on their fight against diabetes, CNMI public health officials will leave Monday to participate in a meeting with the World Health Organization in Manila.
Health Secretary Kevin Villagomez and his team will attend the WHO diabetes program in hopes to keep the CNMI updated with programs relating to the prevention and treatment of obesity-related diseases like heart problems and diabetes.
Mr. Villagomez said WHO recently sounded the alarm on the consistently increasing cases of diabetes in the Western Pacific Region, including the Northern Marianas.
Mr. Villagomez is upbeat the Commonwealth will derive fresh information on treatment and prevention, which will be presented during the meeting by health experts from Australia, other Asian and Pacific nations, and the WHO Regional Office in Manila.
“Diabetes is a grave concern in the Commonwealth. There has been a noted increase in cases during the past years,” the health chief told reporters in an interview.
Recent reports disclosed diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in the Northern Marianas due mainly to sedentary lifestyle and consumption of unhealthy food.
Experts also attributed the increasing rate of obesity and diabetes to effective advertising campaign carried out by companies to promote junk foods.
Leaving the children in front of the television for more than two hours may also eventually make them overweight.
Reports said multi-million-dollar campaign has been instrumental in changing the people’s lifestyle and eating habits.
Obesity rates in the CNMI has been on a steady rise which necessitated a stronger educational campaign focused at discouraging local residents from taking too much salt, canned goods, among others.
Based on recent studies, almost 30 percent of the entire population of school boys and girls in the Northern Marianas are overweight, a moving factor that contributes to higher cases of diabetes.
Obesity increases the risk of death particularly due to heart attack and strokes.
Since 1995, the average number of diabetics who undergo dialysis at the Commonwealth Health Center run from 80 to 103 every year. At least 35 percent of diabetics in the CNMI have kidney problems.
