Cycle 4 Diabetes relay encourages citizens to know their risk

In a quest to increase public awareness about the impact of diabetes in South Africa, Novo Nordisk has come together with Cycle for Diabetes (C4D) to launch the sixth annual relay challenge.

They partnered with the City of Joburg to increase awareness amongst marginalised communities.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterised by high glucose levels as a result of insufficient insulin, defects in insulin or both.

According to Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, this condition has for a long time been greatly ignored or misunderstood, thus the public awareness.

Read: World Diabetes Day creates awareness

Dr Babalwa Maholwana, medical director at Novo Nordisk, the common misconception about diabetes found to be widely shared, is that it is just a little bit of a sugar problem.

“Demystifying diabetes is of utmost importance in ensuring people appreciate the seriousness of the condition, and are made aware of its life-threatening complications,” said Maholwana.

“People often assume that one needs symptoms to suspect that they are diabetic. Symptoms only occur much further down the road when the disease has progressed to a point that it is not reversible.”

Speaking on her involvement in the campaign, Dr Mpho Phalatse, MMC for Health and Social Development in the City of Joburg, said it is because her mother was diagnosed with it.

She was diagnosed with diabetes in 1994, and the MMC said she had the benefit of a medical aid and access to the best specialists including a nutritionist.

Read: World Diabetes Day creates awareness

“With the support of her family she could afford to adopt a diabetic diet, and she could pay for a gym membership. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the masses living with diabetes within our city,” said Phalatse.

“The onus is on us as the government to cultivate right relationships, so [that] where our mandate ends, our partners can serve towards vitality and longevity for the citizens of Joburg.”

The relay aims to increase awareness amongst marginalised communities and the organisers said it will be done through the provision of free screenings and medical advice by healthcare professionals.

The event will also help C4D raise funds for much-needed lifesaving medication for children living with diabetes in marginalised communities.

Read: Winning in the ring, winning the battle of diabetes

The relay will kick off at the Novo Nordisk head office in Sandton, between 2 and 4 November.

It will feature five activation points with the first one being in Soweto, followed by Newcastle, Dundee, Ladysmith and lastly, Pietermaritzburg.

It will also have 16 main cyclists covering a total of 600 km, in 72 hours.

Details: bdnn@novonordisk.com.

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