World Sight Day keeps all eyes on diabetes

There is an alarming number of persons affected with diabetes; in fact it is considered the number one health problem in the country. There is now a noticeable increase in the number of diabetics who develop eye complications. So today, in commemoration of World Sight Day, the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired teamed up with the Belize Diabetes Association for an awareness campaign. The theme for the campaign is “All Eyes on Diabetes” and the participants, who gathered at the Lions Club this afternoon, were treated to a wealth of information on living with diabetes and the effects on their vision. News Five found out how the partnership came about and how it will benefit both eye and diabetic patients.

Anthony Castillo, President, Belize Diabetes Association

Anthony Castillo

“This partnership between the Belize Diabetes Association and BCVI came about as a result of the officer for BCVI working in Dangriga. This officer found out that quite a number of the persons who came to our office with eye problems were living with diabetes. So she called and asked maybe we should team up and create some awareness, have an awareness program.”

Jacqueline Graham, Primary Eye Care Manager

“The diabetes association, they sent their president and their other members. They are coming in to tell people what exactly what is diabetes. We have our staff explaining how diabetes affects the eyes and we have a nutritionist telling us what we need to eat to control diabetes if we have it. For world sight day, we’re just highlighting it in Belize but we’re spreading it out throughout the districts. We’ll have each clinic throughout the districts doing something on different days but they’re also going to have all eyes on diabetes; so it’s going to be held countrywide.”

Delahnie Bain

“And now after the presentations you’re going to have some testing done?”

jacqueline graham

Jacqueline Graham

“Yes, we’re going to have some glucose testing done, pressure checks were done today and we’ll also be giving some fruits for participants.”

Anthony Castillo

“The campaign in Belize City is today, on the twenty-first we move on to Belmopan. There will be three teams on the twenty-first of October; one in Belmopan, one in Orange Walk and one in Corozal. Then we move on to Punta Gorda on the twenty-seventh and the twenty-eighth in Dangriga.”

We’ll have a more detailed look at the effects of diabetes on the eyes in this week’s healthy living, which looks at Diabetic retinopathy.