Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM — Rising diabetes cases in Saudi Arabia result in 5,000 foot amputations annually, according to statistics released by the International Diabetes Federation.

This statistics was conveyed by, where the head of its Health Education Committee,

Dr. Bassem Fota, head of the health education committee of the Saudi Society for Diabetes and Endocrinology, revealed the statistics while addressing a function in Al-Khobar in honor of volunteers who took part in an health awareness campaign in Ramadan.

Fota said there are about 3 million Saudis who suffer from high blood pressure. "However, there are indicators of improvement in the numbers due to increased awareness, and a reduced number of amputations per year by about 30 percent," he added.

He emphasized the need to conduct regular medical tests for diabetes, blood pressure and obesity.

Fota said the Saudi Society for Diabetes and Endocrinology carried out the campaign, covering 6,000 people, 70 percent of whom were men and 30 percent women. After a bit of testing, it turned out that 35 percent of the participants suffered from obesity and 13 percent suffered from high blood pressure. He said 600 people had high blood sugar levels, with 250 of them in the initial stage of the disease.

Fota said most of the participants who are obese do not exercise and are likely to become diabetic.

Abdul Aziz Al-Turki, president of the association, said diabetes and obesity are interlinked and stressed the need to control the diseases because they could progress into complicated conditions.

Al-Turki spoke about the social, psychological and economic impacts of the two diseases, which affect the quality of life of people and their families.

“The rate of diabetic and obese patients in Saudi Arabia is one of the highest in the world,” Al-Turki said.

"Obesity is spreading fast in the Kingdom and this is a big challenge for the country. This is why we decided to launch the campaign this Ramadan to enlighten the public on the danger posed by diabetes and obesity,” he said.

In 2015, the number of Saudis who suffered from diabetes reached 3.8 million. According to the International Diabetes Federation, the number of those who died due to diabetes is 23,420 while the cost for treating one diabetic patient is $1,145 (about SR4,300) a year.

The campaign focused on food intake and nutrition, diabetic foot care and medical advice. “We also provided insulin to some patients and advised them how to use it properly,” he added.

Al-Turki said the campaign attracted a large number of people. “We have provided tests to more than 6,000 participants. We have been keeping in touch with participants to conduct workshops for them and provide them with necessary instructions to protect their health in future,” he said.

“We encouraged participants to follow a healthy lifestyle,” Al-Turki said while praising male and female volunteers who made the campaign a big success. The volunteers included Health Ministry staff members and university students in the Eastern Province.

Dr. Kamil Salama, secretary-general of the association, also addressed the function. He said 70 percent of diseases that are prevalent in the world are not infectious.

Dr. Fota urged the public to give priority to lifestyle changes in order to avoid dependence on medicines.

“Our investment in healthy life will prevent us from being inflicted by cancer by 40 percent, diabetes 70 percent and blood pressure 60 percent,” he pointed out.

The function was organized at Rashid Mall in Al-Khobar to honor volunteers who participated in the Ramadan health campaign, which was carried out by the association in cooperation with the Health Ministry and Dammam Medical Center.

The World Health Organization aims to reduce the number of deaths by 25 percent, cut down diabetes and obesity cases by 25 percent and blood pressure by 30 percent by the year 2025.