SHG LAUNCHES ‘KNOW DIABETES’ CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE PUBLIC ON IMPACTS OF DIABETES

PETALING JAYA, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Sunway Healthcare Group (SHG) today launched their KNOW Diabetes campaign which will run until Nov 30, looking to reach out to communities, raise awareness and educate Malaysians on the impacts of the non-communicable disease (NCD).

Held in conjunction with World Diabetes Day 2024, the campaign, with the ‘Prevention is Power’ message, focuses primarily on food education and how simple dietary adjustments with an emphasis on nutritious food significantly reduce the risk of diabetes.

SHG managing director (Hospital and Healthcare Operations) Dr Khoo Chow Huat said the campaign this year features a vibrant ‘Sweet Deception’ booth in the Sunway Medical Centre lobby.

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“Through the booth, we hope to use a fun approach to educate visitors, both young and old, about diabetes so that everyone will have a better understanding of the disease and can manage it more effectively,” he said in his speech after launching the campaign, here today.

He said that the initiative was particularly important and timely, as the Ministry of Health’s National Health and Morbidity Survey 2023 reported that 15.6 per cent of adults, or approximately one in six, have diabetes, with a staggering 84 per cent of young adults aged 18 to 29 unaware of their condition. 

Dr Khoo noted that diabetes prevention and management cannot be treated solely at the physical level.

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“It needs a holistic approach, taking into consideration other aspects like mental health, economic factors, psychosocial behaviour and community efforts,” he added.

The campaign, which is being held simultaneously at other Sunway Medical Centre hospitals in Velocity KL, Penang and Damansara, Selangor, follows a nationwide survey on more than 1,000 individuals carried out by SHG in collaboration with local news portal cilisos.my last month that looked to gain insights in restricting the rising prevalence of diabetes.

The survey revealed that while more than 80 per cent of respondents were worried about developing diabetes, they also pointed to social anxiety and other psychosocial factors which majorly hinder healthy eating.

Meanwhile, SHG president Datuk Lau Beng Long said diabetes and its complications have not only affected thousands of Malaysians and severely impacted their health, quality of life and relationships, but also posed a significant burden on public health and socioeconomic development.

As such, he said KNOW Diabetes sets out to educate the public on one of diabetes’ primary factors, which is the food eaten and how it greatly affects the risks of developing diabetes.

“SHG aspires to keep to our commitment to safeguard the health and well-being of all Malaysians as well as adhere to the World Health Organization’s 2024 theme of 'Empowering Global Health’.

“We aim to achieve these by amplifying our position as a group that gives back to the community through the facilitation of good health and by raising awareness and enlightening the public on the dangers of diabetes,” he said.

KNOW Diabetes’ holistic programme incorporates on-ground activations at all SHG’s hospitals, media engagements and social media content, featuring a risk calculator at https://diabetes.sunwaymedical.com/ that enables individuals to discover their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in the next five years.

-- BERNAMA