14.8 per cent of Pahang’s population diabetic

MARAN, Nov 8 (Bernama) -- Approximately 14.8 per cent of the population of Pahang, aged 18 and above, have diabetes.

State Health deputy director Datuk Dr Mohamed Sapian Mohamed said, what was alarming was that more than half of them do not know they have the disease.

“Most of them only come to know they have diabetes when getting a health screening outside or through the programme – Healthy Community Empowers the Nation (Kospen).

“...that also they undergo the screening only after experiencing diabetic symptoms,” he said at the Pahang level 2018 World Diabetes Day event at Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Perak Jubilee Hall here, today.

Mohamed Sapian also praised the role of Kospen in helping people adopt to a healthy lifestyle.

He said to date there are 277 Kospen localities throughout Pahang involving residents in housing estates and traditional villages in the state.

“Kospen members, who are from the local communities, are given training to conduct community based health screening for diabetes, hypertension, obesity and stress management.

“The village or housing area involved with Kospen also has a walking area of 10,000 steps placed with  a signboard as it is an easy sport,” he said.

-- BERNAMA