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1st NATIONAL DIABETES CONGRESS: “Filipino Families Fighting Diabetes”

03 July
SAirh

Representatives from different regions of the Philippines gathered last November 16, 2018, at Century Park Hotel Manila to celebrate Diabetes month. The FIRST NATIONAL DIABETES CONGRESS with the theme “Filipino Families: Fighting Diabetes” was organized by actions headed by Humanity Inclusion and the Department of Health. This event was a milestone as a first-ever, and was attended by health Service Providers who first formed the Blue Circle and visited the booth exhibits before the actual Congress.

The Institute for Reproductive Health as a co-organizer was represented by delegates and patients from its Accessing GDM Care Project sites, QC and Pasig Health Depts. Advocating GDM care was one of the many topics discussed in this big whole-day event. Participants were fortunate to have Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus as one of the guest speakers. He discussed the topic of prevention, identification, and management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus or GDM. According to him, GDM may be identified during the 24th to 28th weeks of gestation thru OGTT or Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. In this Laboratory Test, the patient has to undergo 7 to 14 hours of food and liquid fasting before the first draw of blood as Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS). After which, the patient has to immediately take a 75 grams Glucose Solution and wait for one hour for the second blood extraction and another for the second hour after drinking the glucose solution. Dr. Nicodemus also gladly brought in the great news that the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) and the Philippine Society of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism (PSEDM) finally agreed on one uniform OGTT threshold value of 92 mg/dL for the FBS, 180 mg/dL for the 1 hour and 153mg/dL for the 2nd hour. This development assures patients of a uniform GDM protocol.

“Accessing GDM Care” patients on the other hand, were grateful for their learnings and discoveries in the Family Fair simultaneously happening during the Diabetes Congress.  In the Family Fair, patients were taught to count their food calorie intake, do basic household exercises, and many more by the invited Diabetes Nurse Educators. Invited patients also enjoyed as games were also done and prizes and giveaways such as the Noche Buena package were given to them before the Fair ended. These patients were delighted as they received the giveaways and thankful to the organizers as they learned how they can manage and how to live a better life-fighting Diabetes. indeed, with the numbers rising counting the incidence of Diabetes in the Philippines, Filipino Families are beginning to be motivated to Fight Diabetes.

 

 WORLD DIABETES DAY 2018

 

Every November of the year the World Diabetes Month is celebrated. Last November 13, 2018 people around metro manila gathered at the Quezon City Memorial Circle to celebrate World Diabetes Day 2018. In this year’s celebration, Novo Nordisk, the Department of Health, and Lions International as the organizers aimed to get the Guinness Book of World Records for the most number of people forming the annual Blue Circle. With more than 2,000 people who attended the Blue Circle formation, this year’s event was truly successful as it has been confirmed that the Record was reached.

Accessing GDM Care Health Service Providers were one of the many who participated in this event. Barangay Health Workers involved in the Gestational Diabetes Care project of the Institute for Reproductive Health and the World diabetes Foundation from Brgy Gulod, Novaliches Quezon City, and Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City got to enjoy the Zumba and free Fasting Blood Sugar check alongside the program. As one of the groups involved in the project that cares for the GDM patients in their own barangays, they have learned how important it is to detect and manage Diabetes.

The Zumba, Blue Circle formation, and the program were immediately followed by a press conference at Max’s. Distinguished Speakers addressed the invitees, including Health Usec. Eric Domingo, Hon. Daniella Sotto and District Governor Remigio G. Pangan. They all expressed their support in Fighting Diabetes here in the Philippines especially at the community level. Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus was also invited to discuss the incidence of Diabetes in the Philippines, the possibilities on how Diabetes is acquired, and steps on how to manage and fight Diabetes. He shared to the press that a child has a 40% of chance of having Diabetes if one of the parents has Diabetes and a 70% chance if both parents have Diabetes.

The Zumba, Blue Circle formation, and the program were immediately followed by a press conference at Max’s. Distinguished Speakers addressed the invitees, including Health Usec. Eric Domingo, Hon. Daniella Sotto and District Governor Remigio G. Pangan. They all expressed their support in Fighting Diabetes here in the Philippines especially at the community level. Dr. Nemencio Nicodemus was also invited to discuss the incidence of Diabetes in the Philippines, the possibilities on how Diabetes is acquired, and steps on how to manage and fight Diabetes. He shared to the press that a child has a 40% of chance of having Diabetes if one of the parents has Diabetes and a 70% chance if both parents have Diabetes.

 The Institute for Reproductive Health Philippines had the chance to present to the press the Accessing GDM Care Project in Quezon City and in Pasig City. Matthew Miguel Cahiles, IRH- Field Specialist, and Grace Oballes, IRH- QC Site Monitor were invited to the panel to talk about the GDM Project and its components. It was proudly presented to the panel that the Project is currently helping pregnant patients in Barangay Gulod, Novaliches access GDM Care in a local Health Care System. The project caught the attention of several members in the press conference especially when it was shared to them that some of the first patients of the project who were diagnosed with GDM with very high Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) result turned out to be negative at the 6-weeks post-partum OGTT. These patients were carefully assisted along the clinical pathway and it was made sure that patients would be taken care of by each Health Service Provider every step of the way. With this project presentation made, IRH got the attention of Hon. Diorella Sotto and is scheduled to meet with her for a possible City Ordinance directing each Barangay Health Center in Quezon City to do what the project has been doing in Barangay Gulod. This is aligned with the initiative of the Quezon City Health Department through the City Health Officer, Dr. Verdadades Linga, who has instructed that GDM risk assessment for pregnant women be conducted in line with the move for universal screening with OGTT. With this very successful annual event, the goal of spreading the news and knowledge in Fighting Diabetes, and addressing Gestational Diabetes will eventually be within one’s reach.