Cameroon: Hundreds of type 1 diabetes to lose hope

The fate of some 695 type 1 diabetes patients is at stake as the end of a support programme gradually draws closer. In 2010 Novo Nordisk laboratory in Yaoundé undertook a seven-year support programme to help diabetic patients below 21 years.

During the seven year period that ends son, the laboratory claims have made considerable effort to reduce mortality by a large margin of about 70%. That is, from 80% to 10%, disclosed Dr Mesmin Dehayem who is a specialist in diabetes.

Nine clinics were constructed over the seven years to handle the patients diagnosed with type1 diabetes.

As the programme draws to an end several parents are running out of hope, especially as the “Minister of Public Health has remained silent on the issue”.

Type 1 diabetes mostly affects children and adolescents, and very rarely adults. Thousands of Cameroonians suffer from this terrible disease.

Medical experts say type1 diabetes is caused by insufficient production of insulin, production of defective insulin or the inability of cells to use insulin properly and efficiently. Insulin, they say, is a hormone that is produced by specialized cells of the pancreas which helps to control the amount of sugar in the blood.

Symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, bedwetting in children who previously did not wet the bed during the night, extreme hunger, unintended weight loss, fatigue and weakness, blurred vision, etc.

In the meantime, people are inviting the government to give it a listening ear in order to save several lives at stake.