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ARTICLE OF THE MONTH

PCDEF Approved as an IDF Centre of
Education

By: Augusto D. Litonjua, MD

The Philippine Center of Diabetes Education Foundation, Inc. (PCDEF) was recognized as a “CENTRE OF EDUCATION” by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its School of Diabetes in its 2017 Triennium held in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on December 5, 2017.

The PCDEF (or for short: DIABETES CENTER PHILIPPINES) has been in the forefront of creating awareness for diabetes in the Philippines for the past 25 years through its four major programs: Diabetes Awareness Week, Camp Cope (for type 1 diabetic children), Intensive Training Course for Diabetes Teams and the National Assembly of Diabetes Educators. It has established more than 200 training teams, based in hospitals, around the country.

In the Western Pacific Region, the Philippines is ranked number 5 as having the most people with diabetes (behind China, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand). The IDF Diabetes Atlas 2017 Edition lists the number of diabetic Filipinos as 3,878,747 (when its population was 65 million). Diabetes related deaths in the Philippines were estimated to be 50,000 in the 18-99 year age group. The prevalence of diabetes will climb by 20% more in 2045. Thus, if we act now, we may be able to check this rise in the diabetic population – and education is the answer. Diabetes Mellitus can be prevented, and this is what awareness of the disease is for.