Foundation to start initiatives to reduce cases 

The Barbados Diabetes Foundation is launching several initiatives with the goal of significantly reducing the number of diagnoses of the chronic disease.

President Misha White made the disclosure during Republic Bank’s free health and wellness fair in recognition of World Diabetes Day, in Freedom Park Golden Square on Tuesday.

She said the foundation has designated several short to long-term projects to address the spike in diabetes cases.

“We are excited to develop a dynamic national diabetes screening programme. This initiative will bring us closer to communities across Barbados, fostering a more proactive approach to health and wellness. Additionally, we are on the cusp of launching Water is Cool, a programme aimed at promoting healthier lifestyle choices through increased water consumption.

“The smallest, easiest thing you can do, which has the biggest positive impact on our health, is to drink one more glass of water a day. Change happens when it’s easy, obvious, satisfying, and rewarding. To support this initiative, we plan to unveil two water stations in high-traffic areas and are exploring the idea of a water bottle for everyone in the programme,” White said.

She said the Water is Cool initiative will target students in an effort to increase their water intake.

Marketing and Administrative Assistant at the foundation, Hilary Forde, told Barbados TODAY the organisation is concerned about the number of young people developing diabetes.

“Two out of four Barbadians are diabetic, are hypertensive, [and] they usually have some non-communicable disease that is preventable. We are seeing it in younger persons, so we won’t say go and get tested when you are 40 any more; it’s starting at 35 and it keeps [getting lower] every year,” she said.
(SB)