The Gambia - on Friday, November 14th - joined the rest of the world to observe World Diabetes Day on the theme “Diabetes in Children and Adolescents”. 

The annual event is a day set aside by the United Nations (UN) in response to the alarming rise in diabetes prevalence and other communicable  diseases around the world.
It was against this backdrop that the Department of State for Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with WHO and the International Diabetes Federation held a ceremony to mark the day at the National Assembly grounds in Banjul.

Speaking at the occasion, the speaker of the National Assembly, Honorable Fatoumata Jahumpa Ceesay described the event as very important, noting that diabetes is one of the most chronic. According to the speaker, non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol are becoming leading causes of mortality and disability especially in developing countries.
 
According to her, the National Assembly is ready to give support to diabetes control and prevention. She called on all Gambians to join in the effort to combat what she referred to as the silent killer disease.

For his part, the SoS for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Malick Njie, dilated on the significance of the theme.

According to him, the day serves to remind us all about the importance of taking responsibility for our lives and that of our children. He added that “it is necessary to ensure that all children have a right to a long and healthy life by providing adequate support to those living with the disease and many others at risk”.

Speaking earlier, the World Health Organization representative in the country, Thomas Siakwa, said his organization has estimated that 180 million people worldwide have diabetes, and that it is likely to double by the year 2030.