Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter

In an ambitious initiative to check the incidence of diabetes among Qatar's residents, the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) has announced the formal launch of the National Diabetes Strategy.
Addressing the gathering after formally launching the programme, Minister of Public Health HE Abdullah bin Khalid al-Qahtani said the seven-year campaign would kick off under the slogan "Preventing Diabetes Together."
The health minister said the Qatar National Vision 2030 is committed to developing an effective healthcare system in a holistic manner to cover and address all health issues facing the country's residents. It is being rendered with the aim of achieving an integrated healthcare system even while going ahead with its expansion and improvement in services, he said.
Expressing concern at the growing number of diabetes patients, especially among the youth in the country, the minister said there is greater need for making the people aware of its effects and one of the strategic goals of the strategy is to improve patients' empowerment.

The minister expressed fears if effective remedies were not initiated, by 2045 the number of diabetics in Qatar would double from the present 17% of the adult population.
There are many major challenges while fighting diabetes such as preventing its occurrence, delaying its progression, delivering a high quality medical care and developing an effective information technology and diabetes research programme among others, he said.
Chairman of Medicine at Hamad Medical Corporation and Co-Chair of the National Diabetes Strategy Dr Abdul Badi Abu Samra said under the programme it is proposed that the country's adult population would be screened and referred to an appropriate track between 2018 and 2020.
All healthcare professionals will be imparted continuous education in diabetes care by 2019 and all patients will receive an annual health plan by 2020, he said.
The senior physician said the long-term goal of the whole plan is to significantly reduce the incidence of diabetes and complications and help the residents lead a better life by 2022.
The strategy is being prepared with extensive research and deliberations as it is estimated that more than 8% of the global adult population is affected by diabetes. Studies have found about 10% of the adults of the Middle East and North African (MENA) region are also hit by the disease.
Speaking at the meeting, Director of Public Health Department at the SCH Sheikh Dr Mohamed al-Thani said the National Health Strategy 2011–2016 was developed, focusing on some aspects, each of which has a bearing on the health of its people. One of the goals of this strategy is about preventive healthcare, based on which the National Public Health Strategy 2017 –2022 is prepared, he said.
One of the main priorities of the strategy is combating chronic, non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, along with their associated risk factors, including improper nutrition, insufficient physical activity, and tobacco use, he said.
The SCH official said there would be total co-ordination between the teams of National Public Health Strategy and National Diabetes Strategy so that both parties would gain significantly from each other while working together to achieve their respective targets.
SCH Health Promotion Manager Dr Alanoud bint Mohamed al-Thani also spoke .

Action Plan

• First quarter (2016): Establishing National Diabetes Policy team
• Third quarter(2016): Set national agenda for awareness and prevention,
• National Curriculum for patient empowerment
• Fourth quarter (2016): Define guidelines and pathways,
• develop National Research Agenda
• First quarter (2017): Develop and deliver diabetes specific continuing medical education
• Second quarter (2017): Commence training on guidelines/pathways
• 2018: Prepare and launch national screening programme