The National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology is due to start the first survey to count the number of patients wtih diabetes in Egypt.
The study, which will start in the next few days, will be based on a sample composed of 10,000 patients of different ages in Lower and Upper Egypt. The research will be conducted in coordination with members of parliament, health departments and village mayors.
Hesham al-Hefnawy, head of the institute, said the survey will be the first to identify the overall number of patients with diabetes in Egypt, adding that a similar survey was conducted in 1991 but it only dealt with the elderly.
He expected the survey to show that 15 percent of Egyptians suffer from diabetes, he told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
The survey, according to Hefnawy, is being conducted within a program called “Village Free of Diabetes Complications”, carried out by the institute in collaboration with the national diabetes committee. It aims to complete a comprehensive survey of all villagers in certain targeted villages, as well as several cities that represent the urban populations of the governorates.
Hefnawy revealed that new medicines that treat diabetes will be available in Egypt soon, including Insulin degludec, which he described as the best for diabetes patients.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
