Residents of Busia County have been urged to seek early diagnosis for diabetes with a view to reducing complications.
Speaking during the celebrations to mark World Diabetes Day at Busia County Referral Hospital on Tuesday, Busia County Director for Universal Health Coverage Dr. David Mukabi explained that delay in detection and treatment of diabetes can lead to complications of the liver, heart, and eyes.
“Most patients visit medical facilities when their eyes are already affected,” he said, adding that there was a need to sensitise the local residents about the disease.
Mukabi further stated that community health promoters have been trained and given the necessary equipment to test for the disease.
“Those with diabetes also have high blood pressure, hence the need for early screening so that treatment can be administered early,” he said.
He noted that the prevalence of the disease in Busia stands at 3.3%, against the national level, which is 3.1%.
The official at the same time encouraged the local residents to register with the National Hospital Health Insurance Fund so that they could easily access treatment when the need arose.
By Victoria Magar
