KUWAIT: Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI), founded by Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), held their annual informative event to commemorate World Diabetes Day on November 21, 2018, at its premises. The event allowed visitors to consult with diabetes specialists and dietitians, as well as gather medical information from booths that explained various facts of diabetes and promoted healthy lifestyle modification.

Many of the booths at the event offered various components, such as educating visitors on proper dietary habits, physical activities, first aid techniques, diagnostic imaging services amongst others. In addition, some of the booths provided blood glucose and blood pressure testing, as well as podiatric assessment.

Moreover, the event was in collaboration with Kuwait Diabetes Society, Oral Health Program (Ministry of Health), Fantasy World, Blue Circle, Sanofi, and Kuwait Finance House, providing assistance to people living with diabetes and the general public. Special thanks to Kuwait Finance House for their continuous support and for sponsoring this event for many years.

The event reflected an exciting environment featuring a fun educational program, Kids and Diabetes in Schools' (KiDS), including a 'Spin-the-Wheel' Q&A segment. Sanofi co-created the Kids and Diabetes in Schools (KiDS) program, a partnership with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD).

The activity area was divided into various stations dedicated to special game zones where guests could play and learn. "Holding such events and activities stems from Dasman Diabetes Institute's mission statement, where health promotion and awareness are a priority for the Institute. Since its establishment in 2006, the Institute organizes and takes part in many events and campaigns annually to shed light on diabetes and health in general. This is in accordance with the Institute's belief that, 'Prevention is better than cure,'" Dr Qais Al-Duwairi, Director-General of Dasman Diabetes Institute said.

"In celebration of the World Diabetes Day, we are honored to have successfully conducted our first KiDS' activity in Kuwait with the Dasman Diabetes Institute," said Jean-Paul Scheuer, Country Chair and General Manager for Sanofi Gulf. "KiDS aims to foster a safe environment, promote a healthy lifestyle, and prevent diabetes among school children. And through this and our strategic partnership with Dasman, Sanofi reinforces its long-standing commitment to improving the lives of individuals with diabetes, especially children, in Kuwait," he added.

The primary goal of the event was to promote awareness about diabetes, work towards achieving long-term positive health outcomes for diabetes management and empowering those affected by diabetes to proactively improve their quality of life.