Joburg joins global campaign to fight diabetes

11 April 2016

 

Johannesburg has joined five other cities in the world in an international campaign to fight diabetes and encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles.

 

This makes Johannesburg the first African city to join the campaign launched in Mexico City in 2014. Others are Copenhagen in Denmark, Houston in the USA, Tianjin and Shanghai in China.

Johannesburg Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development Councillor Nonceba Molwele told a meeting to launch the City’s campaign on Friday April 8 that diabetes was on the rise in Johannesburg, as it was in all major cities in South Africa and the world.

“The City of Joburg has partnered with Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and Wits University to collaborate on research to better understand the causes of diabetes and the interventions we need to implement to fight it,” MMC Molwele said.

The results are expected to be released in November 2016. The City’s new move comes on the back of the launch by Executive Mayor Councillor Parks Tau of a Healthy Lifestyle Programme in 2012.

“Through this programme, we encourage employees and residents to lead a healthy lifestyle to help reduce the burden of disease, including diabetes. We do this by, among others, promoting a healthy diet and engaging in activities such as regular exercise,” MMC Molwele said.

She said the role of healthcare workers at clinics in fighting diabetes and other diseases was important to the programme.

“We’re localising the provision of healthcare to communities by working with non-governmental organisations. We currently have 200 ward-based healthcare activists across the City working with local clinics in implementing our vision of putting health in the hands of the people.”

This programme, said MMC Molwele, had been extended to schools through partnerships with the Gauteng Department of Education and Discovery Health. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also signed by the City, Novo Nordisk and Wits University at the launch.

“Diabetes is prevalent in urban areas around the world. Research shows that currently about 200 million people in major cities around the world have diabetes, and this number is projected to grow to 600 million people in the next 20 years,” said Novo Nordisk’s Emma Jakobson.

“This is putting a strain on the healthcare systems of the cities and increasing health risks and costs of diabetes on urban areas. That’s why we’re pleased to welcome Joburg in this global movement to fight diabetes.” 
Jakobson emphasised that the success of the campaign depended on the early detection of diabetes, which would enable effective treatment of the disease.
Professor Jeff Wing of Wits University said the Wits Medical School had a programme through which final year students were required to work in clinics for at least nine days a month to treat diabetic patients.

“This is part of our partnership with the City of Joburg to help us all better understand diabetes and participate in fighting it and thereby reduce the burden of disease in our communities,” Prof Wing said.