The MOH in partnership with the Jordanian Society for the Care of Diabetes launches the campaign "Avoid the 100"

Amman, Jordan : On the occasion of World Diabetes Day, and to complement the campaign "Don't miss the opportunity", the Ministry of Health, represented by the Directorate of Health Awareness and Information, in partnership with the Jordanian Society for the Care of Diabetes, and Merck, a leading science and technology company, launched a campaign entitled “Tfada el Miyyeh- Avoid the 100” . This campaign is aimed at highlighting the importance of early detection of diabetes through a simple test known as the fasting blood sugar test, to detect pre-diabetes, which is the first step in the early stages of the diabetes continuum and avoid serious complications.

The Ministry of Health, represented by the Directorate of Health Awareness and Information is launching the awareness campaign on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, in response to royal directives aiming to improve the quality of life of citizens, and eventually provide the best primary healthcare services to raise the general level of health awareness. Keeping local partnerships as part of its strategy, the aim is to raise the level of health awareness throughout the local community and healthcare bodies, by believing in the importance of community health awareness campaigns, and the importance of raising awareness on ways to prevent developing Diabetes, especially Type II, during the Prediabetes phase, for its role in reducing the prevalence of diabetes and preventing its complications.  Finally, the Ministry of Health’s focuses on providing the best treatment for chronic diseases and improving the quality of health services provided during the Coronavirus global pandemic.

Through an educational awareness video and social media posts, the campaign emphasizes on the blood sugar level of 100 mg/dL, through the easy and practical fasting blood sugar test. There are implications of this large number for the high risks’ categories as it can be an indicator of early diabetes. The video raises awareness around the dangers of reaching this number when taking the fasting blood sugar test and the implications that arise with it. The campaign aims to educate the general public on the importance of identifying blood sugar level, managing prediabetes and diabetes if established, and encouraging them not to ignore the early signs or the disease by consulting a doctor to limit its progression.

Identifying prediabetes early can save many lives, especially among high-risk groups. This phase is a serious warning and a unique opportunity to take action that is not to be missed. 1 out of 2 people with diabetes[1] has not been diagnosed and the risk of cardiovascular disease is two to four times higher for people with diabetes[2]. Hence, it is very important to spread awareness about prediabetes and enable patients to discover the risk factors early by conducting the necessary blood tests. It is necessary to abide by the preventive measures, such as exercising regularly and following a balanced diet. It is also crucial to regularly follow up with your doctor, who may recommend, if necessary, to start treatment in order to avoid or slow down the disease progression to Type II Diabetes.

Building on this topic, the President of the Jordanian Society for the Care of Diabetes, Dr. Nadima Shegem, said: "According to the latest national study[3] in Jordan, the incidence of diabetes was 19.6% and pre-diabetes was 254%, meaning that the rate reached 46% among Jordanians over 25 years of age, while the incidence of obesity and overweight reaches 78%. All these figures are worrying and call for increasing awareness about diabetes and its serious complications and the importance of early diagnosis. Pre-diabetes can be detected with a simple and easy test, that can offer a chance and help prevent a lot of complications. 100 mg/dL is an indicator of pre-diabetes and an opportunity that should not be missed. You must consult a doctor and adhere to the instructions to keep blood glucose under control.”

Dr. Hala Sleiman, Merck’s General Manager for the Near East region, said: "The need to raise awareness about the risks and complications of diabetes is increasing day by day, which is likely to affect 700 million people globally by 2045, according to the statistics of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)[4]. Hence, it is necessary to detect it as early as possible and reduce the associated risks.” She added, "Merck Healthcare is committed to its purpose “As One for Patients” to support healthcare professionals and relevant associations in this field, to spread awareness about early diagnosis that can prevent or delay the long-term health complications of diabetes. Early diagnosis through practical and routine examinations that can be performed early to identify risk factors in vulnerable groups and introduce preventive measures to reduce the progression of the disease.”

People that are most at risk are 45 years old and above who have a family history of diabetes. In addition, people who are obese with a body mass index (BMI) that exceeds 25 kg/m²  [5]-[6], those who do not engage in any physical activity, or those who follow an unhealthy diet. Studies have demonstrated that preventive measures such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, following a balanced diet, and exercising regularly to maintain a healthy weight, effectively reduces the risks of prediabetes progression.

It is noteworthy that last year, Merck launched a campaign "Don't miss the opportunity", that aimed at spreading awareness about prediabetes and the ways to manage it, because it is manageable and should not be ignored in order to delay and avoid the development to Type II diabetes, and avoid its critical complications. It also urged citizens to assess their health status and discover risk factors by filling in the required information on the following link:

https://www.yourprediabetes.info/ar_EG/home/prediabetes-assessment.html 

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About The Jordanian Society for the Care of Diabetes:

The Society is volunteering charity founded in 1991 to fight diabetes and spread awareness about the disease, in order to control it and avoid its complications. The Society is a member of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), on the board of directors of the National Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Genetics, and on the National Diabetes and Arterial Stress Strategy Committee. One of its main goals is to educate citizens, especially patients, on facts related to diabetes, its causes, risk factors, complications, methods of prevention and treatments. The society also focuses on coordinating and cooperating with associations and institutions, as well as official and non-official bodies inside or outside Jordan that can help achieve their goals; in addition to conducting and supporting scientific research and studies and participating in local and international conferences. The Society is based on teamwork and unity, and thus works to unite the cooperation of associations, local community organizations, government institutions, civil society organizations and volunteer organizations, to properly implement its goals and programs, in order to battle this disease.

About Merck:

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 57,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2019, Merck generated sales of € 16.2 billion in 66 countries. Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, Millipore Sigma in life science, and EMD Performance Materials. 

For more information about this press statement, please contact:
Bashar Resheq
Senior Communications Specialist- TRACCS Jordan
Email bashar.resheq@traccs.net  / Phone: +962 65 660 542

[1] Reference: International Diabetes Federation, Facts and Figures, World Heart Federation. Diabetes. 2016. www.world-heart-federation.org/cardiovascular-health/-cardiovascular-disease-risk-factors/diabetes/ (all websites accessed May 2016) Diabetes Canada  on Twitter for diabetes awareness month

[2] Reference: International Diabetes Federation, Facts and Figures, World Heart Federation. Diabetes. 2016. www.world-heart-federation.org/cardiovascular-health/-cardiovascular-disease-risk-factors/diabetes/  (all websites accessed May 2016) Diabetes Canada  on Twitter for diabetes awareness month

[3] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dme.13894 

[4]https://idf.org/aboutdiabetes/what-is-diabetes/facts-figures.html

[5] prediabetes.pdf [Internet]. [cited 2020 Oct 9]. Available from: https://professional.diabetes.org/sites/professional.diabetes.org/files/media/prediabetes.pdf 

[6] Association AD. 2. Classification and Diagnosis of Diabetes: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes—2020. Diabetes Care. 2020 Jan 1;43(Supplement 1):S14–31.

© Press Release 2021