17 January 2007 - PANA. Health minister Satish Faugoo announced here Wednesday that the Mauritian government plans to establish a diabetes and heart institute on the island.
He said institute would be the focal point for education, treatment and research on diabetes for Mauritius and Africa.
 
The minister said the project would be undertaken under an agreement signed between the Mauritian Health Ministry and the International Diabetes Institute (IDI) led by Australian Professor Paul Zimmet.
"This agreement will also help us implement the National Service Framework for Diabetes, train professionals in diabetes management, advise the ministry on joint collaboration in diabetes research and help establish a WHO (World Health Organisation) Collaborating Centre for Diabetes in Mauritius," Faugoo said.
 
Diabetes is a major health issue in Mauritius, where the disease, Faugoo said, quoting a 2004 survey, affects 20% of the population over age 30.
The government has since July 2005 taken various measures concerning diabetes and other non-transmissible diseases, including glycosylated haemoglobin tests available in all hospitals.
 
The sale of fizzy drinks has been banned since the beginning of the year in schools, a website giving information on diabetes has been launched and a number of training programmes developed.
According to Minister Faugoo, a document on diabetes prevention strategies will be presented shortly to the cabinet meeting, as well as the setting up of a chiropody unit.
 
Also speaking, the IDI official indicated that the surveys place Mauritius among countries where diabetes rate is the highest in the world.
"However, the island is also a jewel in the crown in terms of diabetes research with the various components of its people, which cover two-thirds of the global population with the Indians, Chinese and others," he insisted.
 
Zimmet added that Mauritius has the potential to better understand the disease and studies carried out on the island allowed in the past to predict a diabetes epidemic in China and India.
 
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