Diabetes report reveals misconception disease can be cured
A new report on diabetes in Tonga has revealed most young people have a misconception that the disease can be cured.
Transcript
A new report on diabetes in Tonga has revealed most young people have a misconception that the disease can be cured.
The University of the South Pacific has carried out a study commissioned by the King's Coronation Charity Trust, which founded by the late king, George Tupou V, and launched on May 16th.
Beverley Tse has more:
The survey of 1,500 people aged 14 to 25 concluded that diabetes is on the rise. A key finding of the report reveals 64% of those questioned believe diabetes can be cured, 17% are unsure and 19% know there is no cure. The Director of the University of the South Pacific's Tonga campus, Dr Ana Koloto, says most young people know about the implications of diabetes but don't realise there is no cure.
DR ANA KOLOTO: There was a high proportion who knew the consequences of diabetes. They were aware because they see it on a daily basis. Amputation of limbs came out as the most frequently sighted consequence of diabetes. More than 70% of young people thought that that was a major consequence of diabetes.
Dr Ana Koloto says a recommendation that arose from the report is for workshops to be held to educate teachers and youth on how to deal with diabetes sufferers. The Chairperson of the Tonga National Youth Congress, Drew Havea, says people need to exercise more and be taught about what types of food they should and should not be eating.
DREW HAVEA: I think people understand that our eating habits probably have an impact, but very little understanding and awareness of what sort of food that will contribute to diabetes.
The survey found that a third of youth in Tonga live with a family member with diabetes, 39% have an extended family member with the disease and 87% know someone from church with it. The Director of the Tonga National Centre for Women and Children Fuiva Kavaliku says she encourages women to prepare healthy food for their families. She says awareness about non-communicable diseases has been around for 20 years, but many people are reluctant to change their lifestyles and mindsets.
FUIVA KUALIKU: For me, I believe that people need to change their attitude towards things that we had believed in before. For instance, Tongan people of course love to eat and they love their food. And they believe that if you don't give food to people that visit, you're not a good host and you're not a Tongan.
The Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health, Dr Malakai Ake, says diabetes and other NCDs are the biggest public health threats in Tonga. He says people know junk food can lead to diabetes, but they prefer it because healthy food is more expensive.
DR MALAKAI AKE: We know what to do - it's health promotion for the people to live a healthy lifestyle. Plus we must try and develop at the policy-making level, should try and develop a policy so that it will create an environment where healthy food is cheaper to buy and make the typical unhealthy food and cigarettes and that more expensive.
Dr Malakai Ake says law-makers should remove tax on healthy food and increase the tax on unhealthy food.
To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following:
See terms of use.