-Conducts free medical screening on over 100 people
As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), and in commemoration of this year’s World Diabetes Day (WDD), Afonchies Pharma Limited, a leading chain community pharmacy in Ajah, Lekki, Lagos, has organised a sensitisation and awareness campaign programme, towards reducing the menace of diabetes mellitus. It also conducted free medical screening for residents of Ajah and Addo in Lagos.
WDD, celebrated annually on 14 November, was initiated by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in 1991 in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, in response to growing concerns about the escalating threats posed by diabetes.
Speaking with Pharmanewsonline, the Managing Director, Afonchies Pharmaceuticals Limited, Pharm. Adebayo Afon, who was represented by the Head of Operation, Afonchies Pharmaceuticals Limited, Pharm. (Mrs) Olatunde Bedford, explained that the free medical screening and awareness was organised to have an impact in the community where their pharmacies are located as well as to celebrate this year’s WDD, which aimed at raising public awareness and understanding of diabetes as one of the common diseases that affect millions of people worldwide.
According to him, “World Diabetes Day was first introduced in 1991 and founded by both the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation in reaction to the rise in cases of diabetes worldwide. It was decided to choose a day of the year to raise awareness of diabetes and related causes and the day chosen was the birthday of Sir Frederick Banting, a medical scientist who co-discovered Insulin and was the first person to use it on humans”.
Speaking further, Afon explained that the day was set aside globally to draw attention to the health condition that is fast becoming a global pandemic, adding that the theme for 2021 WDD through 2023 is “Access to Diabetes Care: If not now, when”.
He further explained that diabetes is not a result of consuming sugar or sugary things, but rather, as a result of the body’s ability to handle the glucose in the body, noting that the glucose comes from all the food we eat whether it is meat, carbohydrate, protein or fat; saying, in their normal forms, the body does not recognise them.
Speaking on the responses of people towards the medical screening, the pharmacist in charge of the screening exercise, Pharm. Opeyemi Abdulrasheed Abdulsalam, said he was overwhelmed by the way people embraced the screening exercise, saying the turn-out was impressive and people were eager to know their status as well as what to do to live a healthy lifestyle
According to him, having regular exercise, eating right and constantly checking one’s Body Mass Index (BMI) could lead to early detection and management of the condition, stressing that there is a need for proper education and enlightenment about the condition, especially for the elderly and those already managing the condition.
“With proper education, lifestyle modification, including quitting of smoking, drinking alcohol, regular exercise, healthy diet and weight reduction, a diabetic patient can live as long as God has designed it if the person follows medical instructions and the condition does not occur only in older people as is commonly believed, but also occur in children”, she said.
While thanking the company for organising the screening, one of the benefactors, Mrs Taiwo Elizabeth Ajewole, expressed happiness that such a programme could be organised in the community, saying if other organisations around could embrace the good gesture, life would be better for all in the community and beyond.
Speaking further, Ajewole commended Afonchies pharmacy for the programme, while urging them to extend the exercise to other parts of the community, as there were other people who would be willing to participate but lived far away from where the programme is taking place.
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