The National Campaign for Diabetes Awareness, launched under the theme: “Diabetes: Be Vigilant to It,” in participating, as part of MOH Booth, in the National Campaign for Heritage and Culture (Janadria 29). Oriented to diabetics, the campaign organizes educational and awareness-raising activities, within the framework of the health-awareness events and services provided by the MOH Booth, and as part of the events and activities organized by the campaign year round.
“Diabetes: Be Vigilant to It” is a campaign intended for raising awareness among the community members, and changing attitudes towards the unhealthy practices, as well as encouraging the adoption of healthy behaviors by the various society members, in a way that helps combat diabetes. It aims, additionally, at introducing the public with the health problems associated with diabetes, and their impacts on the individual, as well as the community at large. Among the objectives, also, is to underscore the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles, as a way to promoting health, by following healthy diets, and exercising. The campaign targets diabetics, as well as the various segments of the society.
The campaign's pavilion at the MOH Booth includes a corner for awareness raising, aiming to educating people and promoting their awareness of how to address diabetes and diabetics, as well introducing them with the risk factors leading to diabetes, and the ways for protection against them, by following healthy lifestyles. Such services are provided for all visitors of the pavilion. In addition, counters are available to provide health-awareness-raising activities, as well as information and publications on the campaign.
The National Campaign for Diabetes Awareness, with its theme: “Diabetes: Be Vigilant to It”, it is noteworthy, takes as its objective raising diabetics' health awareness, and introducing them with the health guidelines and tips that would help them control the level of blood sugar, and follow healthy lifestyles, in addition to providing the diabetics registered at the Ministry with sugar-measuring devices, along with the relevant accessories (injections, strips, etc.), through the diabetes centers and units disseminated throughout the Kingdom's regions.
The Ministry of Health, through its various programs, has continued to raise the health awareness of the visitors of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture (Janadria 29). Outstanding among such programs are those of domestic violence, obesity, osteoporosis, blood donation, domestic medicine, organ transplantation, and patient rights and relations. That is to be added to participations of King Fahad Medical City (KFMC), King Abdullah Medical City (KAMC), and King Fahad Specialist Hospital (KFSH), aside from the events held at the Child Theatre, annexed to the booth.
Several health services have been provided by the Ministry, including free screening of obesity, tooth decay, mental consultations, osteoporosis screening, along with the services having to do with the anti-smoking, blood donation, and balanced food.
Over and above, the MOH, as represented by the Dental Department and Kind Saud Medical City (KSMC) in the MOH Booth, participated with the Anti-caries and Child Safety Program. The pavilion of the said attracted, over the two past days, about 900 visitors, of whom 400 were examined, and 380 cases were detected. The Anti-caries preventive program provides its services for all visitors; the program team conducts the necessary tests on the teeth of children, through mobile dental clinics, and use oral cameras to inform visitors of the condition of their teeth. In addition to that, the team provides preventive treatment, apply fluoride treatment for teeth protection, and provide dental consultations by a constellation of consultant physicians in various medical specialties, in addition to providing practical training on how to soundly care for teeth while applying orthodontic treatment, dental implants, and fixed and removable prosthodontics.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mona Radi al-Sahli, a consultant physician in preventive dentistry, mentioned that the pavilion is equipped with the all the necessary scientific appliances, and provided with medical publications. Also, according to Dr. al-Sahli, educational and health-raising lectures and documentaries on the various therapeutic methods are displayed, showing how to maintain and care for oral and dental health, thus helping promote the health awareness of the various segments of society. In addition, an account was created on 'Instagram' for the public interest, and reminders were sent on the activities of preventive program, not to forget distributing brushes and toothpaste on the visitors.