Novo Nordisk to offer free diabetes screening on World Health Day

The global insulin-maker Novo Nordisk will offer free diabetes screening at different places of Bangladesh on Thursday, marking World Health Day, which will be observed under the theme ‘Beat diabetes.’

Ahead of the day, the WHO South-East Asia Regional office warned the member countries including Bangladesh that diabetes has reached “epidemic” proportions and is expected to further increase in coming years.

The International Diabetes Federation last year listed Bangladesh in the top 10 diabetic burden countries of the world with an estimated 7.1 million people living with diabetes. The number will hit 13.6 million by 2040, if the trend continues.

Novo Nordisk says it will provide free screening in 83 centres of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, 167 Extended Diabetes Care centres, some government offices, Dhaka Reporters Unity and National Press Club on Thursday.

The Danish pharma says, “as the world’s number one sustainable company in pharma industry sector”, it wants to create awareness on diabetes as well as healthy lifestyle as part of its “commitment towards people living with diabetes or prone to diabetes”.

A large proportion of diabetes cases are preventable, said A Rajan Kumar, Managing Director of Novo Nordisk in Bangladesh.

 “Simple lifestyle measures have been effective in preventing or delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes. Maintaining normal body weight, engaging in regular physical activity, and eating a healthy diet can reduce the risk of diabetes”.

Efforts to prevent and treat diabetes will be “important” to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goal 3 target of reducing premature deaths from non-communicable diseases, Head of Marketing Mohammad Saiful was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the company.