Prevention is better than cure

Due to our sedentary lifestyle, the number of diabetic patients is rising with every passing day. Every year on 14th November we observe the World Diabetes Day and the principal objective behind doing so is to create awareness among the people about the long-term effects of being diabetic. Diabetes is not a deadly disease all by itself, but it affects us in many ways. Timely treatment of other diseases is sometimes either hampered or delayed due to presence of diabetes in a patient. Diabetes hampers productive activities of an individual and so it is bad for the economy also.
There was a time when diabetes was known as a disease of the rich. With time it was proved wrong. If we look at the number of diabetic patients in our country, we shall find that the percentage of diabetic patients is not lower than those in the developed countries. Even the number of female patients is higher. It is estimated that the number of female patients in our country will be doubled by 2025. It is imperative that we should rise to the occasion and take necessary steps to arrest the growth of diabetic patients in the country. Furthermore, we should continue prolonged publicity campaigns to make the people aware of the dangers of diabetes and help develop a healthy society. The government should make all open spaces free as they are encroached upon illegally by influential people or whoever. We should also make the members of the young generation to be conscious from their tender age about the curse of diabetes.

Faisal Ahmed
Mohakhali, Dhaka.