Diabetes walk and road race today

By Esther Williams

Popular cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardena and Chaminda Vaas will be among the celebrities who will join the Diabetes walk today.

November 14 was World Diabetes Day.

To commemorate the event, the Diabetes Prevention Task Force (DPTF) of the Sri Lanka Medical Association has organised a Colombo Walk and Road Race today, Sunday November 19 starting from Independence Square at 7.30 a.m. and ending at the Colombo University grounds today.

Aimed at improving public awareness on the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease amongst schoolchildren and youth, the road race is organised in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Sri Lanka Diabetes Association and other stakeholders such as the Sri Lanka Heart Association, Hypertension Society, Sri Lanka Stroke Association and the Sports Medicine Unit.

Participants will include students from 25 Colombo schools, undergraduates, members of the SLMA, members from around 30 professional medical related organisations, garment workers from MAS Holdings, diabetes patients from the Diabetes Association of Sri Lanka and volunteers.

The ceremony will include distribution of art and essay competition awards to schoolchildren, medical undergraduates and road race winners, a skit and play by Health Ministry workers on the realities of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar; live demonstrations on healthy cooking and exercise programmes.

The organisers hope that the public event would contribute to raising knowledge and awareness on diabetes and encourage people to adopt proper diet and healthier lifestyles.

This month, the DPTF also conducted a school-based programme to detect overweight and underweight children in grades 6-10, refer them to medical officers, provide advice on healthy eating and physical activity and educate parents on healthy lifestyles.

In the pipeline are various other activities.