General
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina has said the ministry will be supporting a Non Governmental Organization, the Hypertension and Diabetes Awareness Foundation by linking it up with some of its relevant development partners and organizations in the area of sensitization.
She said this Friday when members of the Foundation paid her a visit in Abuja.
She said the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 220 million people worldwide have diabetes, "This number, the organization says is likely to more than double by 2030 without intervention. Cardiovascular diseases, also known as, Hypertension, are the world's largest killers, claiming 17.1 million lives a year. However, these diseases are manageable if those living with them have right and timely information," She said.
Maina described the visit as timely as various programmes affecting the lives of women, children, Persons with
Disabilities and the Elderly which constitute 70 percent of Nigerians were being planned by her ministry.
Earlier, President of the Foundation, Felicitas Ogbuefi, said people, especially women often have diabetes and hypertension without knowing it. She said the Foundation's awareness campaign will be carried out in all parts of the country ahead of the Annual World Diabetes Day on 14th November, 2011, which she added will coincide with its National Health Ambassador Award Programme on that same day.