Former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has said the key to living health with diabetes were self monitoring of blood sugar level, exercise and appropriate diet.

Speaking at the second guest lecture of Strategies for Improving Diabetes Care In Nigeria (SIDCAIN), a research group into diabetes education, awareness creation and capacity building, Chief Obasanjo stated that no individual should die from the disease, given that the control of blood sugar can prevent all the complications of diabetes.

Chief Obasanjo, at the meeting which was organised in collaboration with Osun State University, Osogbo, Osun State, said “patients should be encouraged to monitor their blood sugar level frequently using the glucometer. As a diabetic patient, I do this regularly. Even my sister, who is an illiterate, does it regularly. If we had ignored all the precautions and care, it could have been worse for both of us, if at all we are still alive.”

According to him, “diet and exercise are very important and indispensable in the management of diabetes in an individual. I play squash almost every day, too.”

Chief Obasanjo, who reiterated that the glucometer was a kit every person with diabetes should own, argued that diabetes and hypertension should take a prominent place in the nation’s national health policy, considering the prevalence of the diseases.

According to him, “there are sufficient data to show that diabetes can be prevented if appropriate measures are taken to create awareness and to facilitate early diagnosis and give adequate education to the populace on the disease.”

The former Nigerian president, who stated that many people with diabetes remained undiagnosed in the community, said through appropriate education on the diseases, the myths on the disease, such foods to eat. and not to eat would be dispelled.

He highlighted challenges to the control and treatment of diabetes to include high cost and inaccessibility to diabetics care and medications; low level of diabetes screening and many prevalent myths on diabetes.

Earlier, Professor Christopher Alebiosu, the Principal Investigator, SIDCAIN project, stated that the body had conducted free diabetes screening for 58,657 individuals across the 20 local governments of Ogun State, through the established 25 non communicable disease clinics in the state.

In addition, he said that similar diabetes and hypertension screening and awareness campaign was ongoing across Oyo State under the sponsorship of the World Diabetes Foundation.

The number of people with diabetes is projected to increase from 4.2 million to 10 million by estimation if nothing is done to control the disease.

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