By Asma’u Ahmad
A physician, Dr. Ahmed Shettima, has advised diabetics to ensure good dietary intake to enjoy a healthy living.
Dr. Shettima gave the advice in an interview with newsmen in Hadejia, Jigawa state, saying adequate nutritional intake was imperative to improve the health condition of diabetics.
He said that lack of adequate feeding often resulted to infections and other health complications among persons suffering from the disease. “Patients require classified diabetic diet, high nutritional intake is vital for the growth of body mechanism.
“Low nutritional intake among diabetes patients is a major challenge for effective control of the disease in rural communities.
“Poverty and low economic empowerment are responsible for the poor dietary intake among patients,” the physician said.
Shettima also advised patients of the ailmnent to ensure regular visits to clinics and adhere to medical prescriptions.
He also advocated for a special diabetes intervention programme, to enhance access to drugs and food supplements to improve their health status and control the disease.
Statistics from the Jigawa chapter of the Diabetic Association indicate that over 27, 000 people are suffering from the disease in the state.
The association in collaboration with development partners regularly conducts free screening exercise and sensitisation activities to create awareness on the disease.
