Increased to 45 cases annually and it might reach 60 cases in some years - Al-Hajri: The number of patients with diabetes mellitus type I in childhood is in continuous rising

The ministry of health organized on "Saturday" the 22nd of March 2014 a workshop about diabetes within the scientific program of primary care doctors and Bahrain's hospital and private medicine under the sponsorship of the assistant undersecretary of primary care and public health Dr. Marian Al-Jalahma and the attendance of a number of doctors concerned with diabetes. The assistant undersecretary of primary care and public health was represented by the director of public health administration Dr. Mariam Al-Hajri to open the workshop as she recited a speech in which she said "Diabetes especially type II is now considered a huge global problem as it effects large number of people in different societies and it is in continuous rising as the number of diabetic people is estimated to be millions around the world. The incidence of it in the kingdom of Bahrain is considered high as the last scanning of the non-communicable diseases in Bahrain shows that the percentage of diabetic people in those over 20 years old is about 14.3% and those vulnerable to have are about 20%. Dr. Al-Hajri added: "The number of people who type I in childhood is continuously increasing as it increased from 18 cases per year to 45 cases per year and it might reach 60 cases in some years" and she continued: "The ministry of health gave wide attention to prevention of diabetes in addition to developing the policies and procedures concerning the disease care and worked on improving the quality of the therapies needed for diabetes care through comprehensive care for diabetic children and adults that is provided by medical team that is specialized in endocrine and diabetes". Al-Hajri also pointed out the importance of providing primary care services through diabetic clinics and chronic diseases clinic that have been developed and updated by the medical team specialized in diabetes in health centers and every health center now contains a central diabetic clinic, emphasizing that the diabetes document issued by the ministry of health in the gulf cooperation council countries that puts diabetes at the top of its priorities and by this document, all the member countries in the gulf cooperation council pledge to provide all means to fight diabetes and minimize its spread and this step can be considered an achievement for the GCC countries to be proud of hoping to implement all the items in the document in order to achieve the goals. At the end, Al-Hajri thanked all who coordinate for this assembly and we thank Merk Serono Company for their cooperation in delivering Saint Andrews educational program for diabetes to our doctors in primary and secondary care and private medicine. She also thanked all the workers in the ministry of health and primary health care.