Campaign to help Malay/Muslims fight diabetes extended
Residents getting a free health screening at the Health Fiesta: Let’s Be Healthy — Say No to Diabetes event in Tampines yesterday. The campaign to fight diabetes in the Malay/Muslim community has been extended to June. Photo: Tampines Malay Activity Executive Committees
SINGAPORE — The campaign to fight diabetes in the Malay/Muslim community has been given a shot in the arm with a three-month extension announced yesterday by its organisers.
The initial target was to get 50 Malay Activity Executive Committees (MAECs) on board, but because of popular demand, the six-month campaign has been extended to June, said Mdm Hayati Rahim, who sits on the People’s Association MAEC Council (Mesra).
This month alone, some 20 MAECs are co-organising the Health Fiesta: Let’s Be Healthy — Say No to Diabetes campaign with Mesra and grassroots and community organisations across the island.
At the launch of the fiesta in Tampines, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli pointed to the high rate of diabetes in the Malay/Muslim community.
The community accounts for around 13 per cent of the population but forms close to 25 per cent of people on dialysis.
Mr Masagos, who is also a Member of Parliament for Tampines, urged the audience to make lifestyle changes, such as reducing their sugar and salt intake, and going for regular check-ups.
“Diabetes ... is a silent killer. Therefore, if you can prevent diabetes, you also prevent other problems, including heart attack, heart problem and kidney failure,” he said.
Around 50 residents joined in a free health screening yesterday. There were also healthy-cooking demonstrations, health talks and aerobics exercises.
One resident who did her first health screening was housewife Noraini Mohd Din, 50. She told TODAY that it had never crossed her mind to undergo one sooner because “I always thought I was fine”.
“I was also worried about going for a check-up. What if there was bad news and I was (diagnosed with) something?” she added.
But when family members started sharing about health-related issues and ailments on WhatsApp, Mdm Noraini changed her mind.
Meanwhile, retired nurse Hadijah Husein, 73, who has been living with diabetes for 18 years, said the lack of awareness on diabetes was worrying.
She said that was one reason, coupled with a diet high in sugar, for the high rate of the disease in the Malay/Muslim community.
“There’s not much focus in the community on health issues. I think events like these can help raise awareness. Education is very important,” she added.
The current campaign was launched in September by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, as part of efforts to engage the public in the “war on diabetes”.
One in nine Singaporeans aged between 18 and 69 years old has diabetes, according to the latest data from 2014.
