Basic Facts about diabetes in Papua New Guinea.

Diabetes affects All our body.

Diabetes is fastest developing disease in Papua New Guinea. According to Papua New Guinea Risk Factors STEPS REPORT (February 2014), detailed research done in the National Capital District by a collaborative effort between the National Department of Health (NDOH), Papua New Guinea (PNG), HOPE Worldwide, PNG, and World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes in Papua New Guinea was found in Wanigala in 1961. Many Wanigala communities become victims of diabetes. Later the disease was found to be common within the Tolai community in East New Britain Province.

Today [December 2019], diabetes has spread fastest than a man would imagine and it's affecting the lives of many Papua New Guineans. This is a result of many Papua New Guinea eating more processed foods than organically grown foods.

Papua New Guineans are now depending on process foods than originally grown foods. Many people including the youths are not working in the garden/land to produce organic food. However, at present (December 2019] there are 100% organic foods sold at local markets and there is no need for people to depend on process food.

In the last two or three decades, people who have become victims of diabetes were due of a lack of education and awareness. Even now the government of Papua New Guinea through the Department of National Health, they are not doing enough to drive lifesaving health education and awareness down to the rural level.

Consequently, many Papua New Guineas are yet to be educated about their lifestyle choices. Many do not know process foods contains sugar and salt. The worse affected are the Health Workers. If the people who are well informed to educate us are victims, then, there is no choice left, we must get educated for the good of our health. 

So let's look at following questions:

What is diabetes? 

How diabetes damages the human body?

How to prevent diabetes?  

What is Diabetes?

According to World Health Organization, Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterized by elevated levels of blood glucose (or blood sugar), which leads over time to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. 

How diabetes damages the human body?

Diabetes can damage our nervous system, cause male impotence; reduce visual medical condition; result in disability, especially the lower limbs; cause high blood pressure, damage kidneys, affect memory, diabetes can affect the entire body system.

How to prevent diabetes?  

It starts with lifestyle choices. To decide lifestyle choices, one must be aware of the health consequence of poor lifestyle choices that will come about.