The Rwanda Diabetes Association (RDA) on Friday received financial support from Ecobank-Rwanda that will help the association in awareness campaigns, purchasing drugs, helping the sick and their helpers.
Alice Kilonzo-Zulu the Chief Executive of the bank says they chose to support the association as part of their social responsibility including building houses for the needy, helping poor families and also promoting awareness campaigns against Diabetes.
Gishoma Francois the head of the Rwanda Diabetes Association welcomed the financial assistance saying, 'it has come at the right time'.
Meanwhile, at this event, Ecobank has used this opportunity to launch diagnosis for all its staff members.
Present are representatives from Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).
Rwanda Diabetes Association runs a clinic in Kigali â€" 'We provide medical treatment, information on diabetes management and nutrition, counselling and medical supplies.'
'In our clinic in Kinamba, Kigali, we provide medical treatment, information on diabetes management and nutrition, counselling and medical supplies. We promote innovations in diabetic research, create networks between stakeholders and we host the registry of diabetics in Rwanda,' the association says.
According to the Diabetes Atlas the prevalence of diabetes in Rwanda is about 3.16% of the population with 1,918 diabetes related deaths per year.
Understanding Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is caused when either the pancreas is not producing enough insulin or the cells of the body are not responding properly to the insulin produced.
There are three main types of diabetes:
- Type 1Â results from the pancreas' failure to produce enough insulin, the cause is unknown.
- Type 2Â is a condition in which cells fail to respond to insulin properly or the pancreas doesn't produce enough insulin. The primary causes are excessive body weight and not enough exercise.
- The third type is gestational diabetes and occurs when pregnant women without a previous history of diabetes develop high blood sugar levels.
Meanwhile, it is important to be tested for diabetes if you are at risk. If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can result in a variety of complications, including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, problems with erection (impotence) and amputation.
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Source : https://taarifa.rw/ecobank-donates-rwf5m-to-rwanda-diabetes-association/
