Diabetes Global Village Relevant

It’s World Diabetes Month! With 3 in 10 Barbadians being diabetic the day (Nov. 14) should probably be declared a public holiday on the island. We at PRMR Inc. try to do our part through the Diabetes Today Magazine.

We are also pleased to have coordinated the Diabetes Global Village again this year. Not only were we on board from the embryonic stages of the project but also we have seen the evolution of the Village from a small display of pharmaceutical companies to an Expo where products of all types, invaluable to someone living with diabetes, are on display.

The Global Village is however at a crossroad were its high cost is calling into question its usefulness. There is talk that there are a number of health fairs and blood-testing going on throughout the year so maybe the Global Village is not necessary. I was one that was being swayed by that argument until last Friday. A very pleasant old lady came up to me and asked - where are the specialists that were advertised? In particular she was looking for a podiatrist. She explained that her doctor said she was pre-diabetic and appeared to be having some kind of neuropathy and when she saw the diabetes Global Village ad she thought it was a wonderful opportunity to get some more information.

Then there was the Dr. Teske discussion in which over one hundred persons waited for almost two hours to hear the US based doctor and when he asked “who here is diabetic?” every other hand went up. They were keen to hear about alternative treatments for diabetics. With the high rate of diabetes on the island the Global Village would for many, never be just a health fair. Congratulations to the Barbados Diabetes Foundation for its incite in attempting to help stop diabetes in its tracks through education and awareness.