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Echoing WHO’s current theme, ‘Beat Diabetes’, the first-of-its-kind venture aims to create a healthier UAE through education and preventive measures The Diabetes Centres in Dubai and RAK to partner with various organisations across Dubai and the northern emirates for free screening of employees and their families Dubai, UAE, April 12, 2016: In line with the World Health Organisation’s 2016 theme, ‘Beat Diabetes’, RAK Diabetes Centre has launched a massive complimentary screening programme open to all associations and companies in Dubai and in the Northern Emirates. In the first-of-its-kind awareness and prevention campaign in the UAE, the centre aims to partner with a number of organisations to provide a holistic and comprehensive diabetes screening to at least 30,000 UAE residents this year. The initiative that will run until April 2017, will also include free culinary classes for employees of various organisations by celebrity chef Andy Campbell with focus on healthy, nutritious and low caloric foods that will help defeat the disease. The comprehensive screening will include tests for BMI, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, body composition analysis as well as consultation with RAK clinical dietician and diabetes educator. Screening will also include HBA1C test to measure the body’s blood sugar level over a period of weeks/months. To be hosted at RAK Diabetes Centres in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, the campaign is expected to draw around 80 to 100 people on average each day, assisting UAE residents with early specialty care and educating them in managing diabetes in everyday life. “The fact that WHO has chosen diabetes as its theme for this year should give an idea of the high prevalence of the disease,” said Dr. Raza Siddiqui, CEO of Arabian Healthcare Group - the parent company for RAK Diabetes Centre. “Globally, roughly 422 million people live with diabetes and in the UAE around 19.3 percent of UAE residents are affected by it. However, there is still a large number of people who are either on the verge of getting diabetes or already have it, but are unaware. This extensive campaign will be reaching out to that particular segment as well as well thousands of other people who need to understand the severity of the disease and the lifelong impact it can have on their lifestyle. “Logistically speaking, pushing the initiative via organisations is the most practical route, since we can now reach out to a much bigger number of people. We would like the organisations to play an active role in this regard, since healthier employees would mean better productivity at work, fewer sick leaves and a high morale in general. We’ve also involved families mainly to help stagger the alarming rise of diabetes in children, particularly Type 1 diabetes. “RAK Diabetes Centre has invested millions in this initiative with the sole purpose of creating a diabetes-controlled UAE, and in effect a healthier environment for both adults and children. Our aim is to help control a disease that is not only the root of several other ailments but eventually a severe burden on the health budget of any country. We are aiming to continue the campaign until next April, but depending on the outcome we hope to take it forward another year,” added Dr Raza. Complications from diabetes are known to be a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation. Poor dietary choices, an inactive lifestyle and heredity are few of the top reasons behind the rise in the disease that shows few signs of abating. The World Health Organisation projects that diabetes will be the 7th leading cause of death in 2030 unless concerted and practical efforts are made to raise awareness against the disease. The RAK Diabetes Centres focuses on providing complete medical care, education and support. The Centres offer comprehensive and holistic diabetes care by providing access to a multidisciplinary team including cardiologists, ophthalmologists, endocrinologists, diabetes
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