– And their funding comes from?
I had touched upon my lead subject a few columns back, writing during a vacation abroad. I mentioned that my few sentences back then were not meant to trivialize what is now a serious worldwide disease and condition, notwithstanding my light-hearted-sounding style.
Because I have already learnt so much more, added to my sense that, amidst culinary and dietary excesses, many will find time to read all this today, before hitting the party/entertainment circuit, I return to the topic.
But even though I’ve informed myself through interesting literature, it is not my intention to recite definitions, causes, symptoms and characteristics – behavioural and remedial – most likely known to sufferers/victims of diabetes. Rather, I share the findings and views of some American doctors and researchers.
No longer under-rated
An American Consultant to the World Health Organisation who also heads a Diabetes Translational Research Centre declares that over decades he has seen diabetes – and its complications – grow, virtually unabated. The WHO estimates that some 350 million people world-wide have the condition. Very recently, the count in the USA was/is 29.1M people with diabetes – 9.3 percent of the population with most not even realizing they have it.
There is now also such an ominous condition described as pre-diabetes. This is when an additional 86 million Americans have higher-than-normal blood sugar/glucose levels. People throughout the globe with this preliminary Diabetes are easily vulnerable to develop diabetes – especially the late/adult onset Type 2 version.
Of course, what is scary about diabetes is that it puts sufferers, especially those in nonchalant denial, at higher risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, amputation. Death? You guess!
Finally, this rather chilling observation from a San Francisco physician: “When I came to San Francisco twenty-four years ago the AIDS epidemic was at its peak. One out of every two patients we admitted to a ward was a young man dying of an AIDS-related disease. Today that same ward is filled with diabetes patients.” Too many are suffering the ravages of diabetes – heart conditions, liver and limbs in danger. The medical care diabetes experts all call for a vigorous public health assault on the health dangers of too much (added) sugar in foods and diets.
My cousin-and the stars
Well I hope my cousin, who has lived in the US for very near to fifty years, is wrong. I feel that he is.
Diabetic himself, he took me to some leading pharmacies and super-stores, to show me the diabetes/diabetics sections. He “suspects” that a cure could be developed for the chronic disease – “But look at this industry!” he declares. What think you? Pharmaceutical conglomerates do need sick people, right? Foods, medication, testing equipment, even shoes are available!
Public education includes American movie-stars and others offering personal advice; people like Law and Order’s S. Epatha Merkerson, Debbie Allen, Tom Hanks, Ben Vereen, Patti Labelle, Larry King, Sherri Shepherd, Billie-Jean King, Paula Deen.
Diabetics Guyana
I’m assured that we in Guyana have a fairly good strangle-hold on the epidemic. When people actually know they have some type of the disease. Diabetic Health professionals, clinics and pharmacies abound. At a challenging cost. As usual, overseas “family” assist.
A few columns ago, I was somewhat light-hearted about the Guyana experience: that when you tell folks that you’re a diabetic, they reveal that, for die-hard drinkers, “the doctor say that drinking white rum, high wine or vodka is okay for diabetics”; (the latter is an accepted joke, diabetics should really avoid all alcohol!); younger diabetic males really fear erectile dysfunction and hurt egos; that amputation of limbs is also a rigid fear, even though we have a great programme addressing that stage.
I leave this first excursion with a most significant repetition: my topmost Guyanese diabetic official shuns the manufactured pharmaceutical medications; for decades he has used Sarsparilla and Rose of the Mountain; for his “manhood”, Capadulla! Glucose levels always under control. Discuss…
Careful eating – Hamley’s Case
Okay, every other Christmas Season, I usually quote Mr Hamley Case, who in turn, quotes American writer Neil Donald Walsh. In one “conversation” with God Mr Case says that Walsh says God designed the human body to last 200 years! But apparently mankind has lowered that threshold by what we plough into the body’s system.
And Hamley Case is especially worried by what too many Guyanese do at Christmas-time. He says that over perhaps one week we overload God’s creation with : “a range of meats (dead animals) like garlic pork, pepper pot, roast/grilled/baked chicken, lamb, duck; wines, malts, beer, hard liquor, ginger beer, rice wine, ponche-de-crème; all types of nuts, potatoes, Black Cake, sponges, pastries; eggs, fish, dressings, stuffings; do you smoke cigars? You get the drift? Who can blame the human body for reacting – during and after Christmas?
Their sources of funding
The Office of the President’s attempts to bury the project to organize and empower Civil Society under Guyana’s Constitution Article 13, included querying just where Prime Mover Dr Philip Thomas got or gets funding to finance his Think-Tank NGO’s efforts.
As long as it is not illegal or from terrorists, should that be the government’s business? Readers, be aware that the regime can access information about anyone’s sources of funding utilizing the legislation and entities now in place. The Bank of Guyana (BOG), under certain circumstances, can require Commercial Banks to divulge a lot. See what power can do?
But from where does funding for certain big-wigs come? In some societies public officials must declare their assets and current income tax status. Here? In the breach! That info is used to intimidate opposition sympathisers.
Where do the political elite get their money – later their all-round wealth – from? From little private aeroplanes? Cash laundries? Business Fronts? Backroom/Sweetheart Deals? Where from? (Incidentally, walking through American Malls and Super Stores recently, I realized just why the corrupt elite need super salaries and super pensions. It’s to shop at those high-end places without much care!)
Until next year…
*1) Prognostications about the Elections Campaigns – and Party Slates…
*2) Do not allow the Façade of Seasonal Cheer – Staff Parties, Political Santas offering charity, concerts, commercial promotions, peace-and-goodwill speeches – to divert your attention from corrupt greed and contempt for your own worth.
*3) Opposition and Journalists, continuously find out how GECOM is coping! Pre-empt!
‘Til Next Year.
(Comments: allanafenty @yahoo.com)
