Thousands of participants, including 3,500 students from different schools in Doha, took part in the seventh ‘Beat Diabetes’ walkathon within the premises of the Museum of Islamic Art Park.

The annual event forms part of celebrating the World Diabetes Day, which falls on November 14 this year, with the theme ‘Eyes on Diabetes.’ The objective is to encourage residents to undergo screenings.

“This walkathon provides a common and strong voice to raise awareness about diabetes in the hope that all parties take the necessary steps towards combating this disease,” said Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) executive director Dr Abdulla al-Hamaq.

QDA wants to send important messages to the participants and all members of the community on the risks associated with the disease and how to respond to it.

Another key message, Dr al-Hamaq noted, is for people to learn how to manage and control diabetes, a disease that has been affecting millions of people globally.

He said they want to target undiagnosed people who often do not know they were already diabetic. “They have to go to the health centre to undergo more tests just to confirm our diagnosis,” the QDA official urged.

According to Dr al-Hamaq, the World Diabetes Day celebration this year also aims to raise awareness on the importance of checking the eyes for blurred vision to prevent possible complications, especially those who already have diabetes.

Event organiser Landmark Group Qatar chief operating officer Santosh Pai said the event has been helping to remind thousands of people of all ages on the magnitude of the threat posed by diabetes and how easily the condition can be managed.

To stay healthy, he urged people in Qatar to regularly monitor their blood glucose levels, and exert more effort to lead an active lifestyle and have a balanced diet.

“These are essential to the long-term health of our family, community and nation,” he said.

About the walkathon, Pai noted that the number of participants has been increasing since its inception, a reason to look for a bigger venue.

From MIA Park this year, he said the ‘Beat Diabetes’ campaign may take place in Education City next year.

Organisers also saw the need to focus on young people due to the technological advancement that discourages them to do physical games, engage in sports, and play outdoors.

While the 1km walkathon this year had seen a huge turnout of participants, QDA and Landmark Group hope to attract more families and school communities in the next editions.

Other activities associated with the diabetes awareness campaign such as sports activities and social programmes are also being organised continuously in some venues, Pai added.

In a press statement, Landmark Group cited figures from the sixth edition of the International Diabetes Federation’s Diabetes Atlas which shows that the number of people living with diabetes globally is expected to rise from 382mn in 2014 to 471mn by 2035.