Ukrainian Diabetic Federation launches YouTube channel and Diabetes School for journalists and bloggers
The Ukrainian Diabetic Federation (UDF) is launching a YouTube channel and Diabetic School for journalists and bloggers to dispel myths about diabetes and popularize scientifically based information about this disease.
"Currently, facts about diabetes are often replaced by stereotypes that spread and can negatively affect people with diabetes. It is extremely important that people have reliable information to make important decisions that affect their lives. Today, approximately 2 million people in Ukraine live with diabetes. Each has their own story. But, unfortunately, many of these stories include the experience of stigma, which is rooted in widespread misconceptions," said Valentyna Ocheretenko, the chairwoman of the UDF council, at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday.
Executive Director of the UDF, Honored Doctor of Ukraine Natalia Kozhan noted that in 2023, the incidence of diabetes increased by 18.2% compared to 2022 and 1.9 times compared to 2021 - to 3,027 cases per 100,000 population.
The mortality rate of people with diabetes remained at the level of 2021. However, according to her information, in 2023, the incidence of complications in patients with diabetes (except for limb amputations) increased. In particular, the incidence of retinopathy, nephropathy and the proportion of patients requiring dialysis increased.
At the same time, Kozhan noted the lack of reliable statistical information on the situation with diabetes in Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, today there are no statistics on diabetes. We have been appealing to the Ministry of Health for many years with a demand to update the statistics, because how can we calculate the financing of needs and other indicators," she said, noting that without statistical information it is impossible to objectively assess the impact of the war on the incidence of diabetes, in particular on the spread of the disease among internally displaced persons and military personnel.
For her part, the head of the diabetology department of the V.P. Komisarenko Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Liubov Sokolova, emphasized the development of diabetes against the background of other diseases, in particular kidney diseases.
"If earlier we talked about complications of diabetes mellitus, that is, diabetic nephropathy, now this term has changed to "chronic kidney disease", which emphasizes: chronic kidney disease can be the driver that will stimulate the progression of other complications of diabetes mellitus. If we talk about diabetes mellitus and the possibility of developing chronic kidney disease, then we need to emphasize that we must act as early as possible, diagnose diabetes mellitus in a timely manner, prescribe treatment in a timely manner," she said, emphasizing that "with diabetes mellitus, almost 40%, and possibly 60% of patients have kidney pathology already at the initial stage of the disorder."
For his part, CEO of the CheckEye Innovation Platform Kyrylo Honcharuk emphasized the possibilities of using the latest technologies, in particular artificial intelligence, and a diabetes registry for diagnosing diabetes complications and predicting the development of the disease.
"With the presence of registries, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing the disease, analyze the development of the disease. Diabetes registries are a collection of big data to improve treatment protocols, plan treatment programs. An important way to apply artificial intelligence is mass screening. But, unfortunately, we do not have the medical resources to perform screening for every person," he stated.