ZAGREB, 23 Oct, 2021 - The Croatian Federation of Diabetes Associations on Saturday launched the campaign "Pokreni se (Get Moving)" to raise awareness among diabetes patients about importance of physical exercise and regular medical exams.
The representatives of the associations and doctors today warned that the COVID-19 pandemic had decelerated the rate of diagnosing this disease.
The latest data show that approximately 310,000 people in Croatia have diabetes, but their actual number is estimated at 500,000. The situation concerning medical investigations and regular check-ups has deteriorated because of the pandemic.
Tamara Poljičanin of the Croatian Institute of Public Health said that for the first time since the official records began, a decrease in the newly diagnosed cases of diabetes had been registered, due to fewer medical examinations and fewer visits to hospitals.
The experts today warned about a low turnout of diabetes patients for vaccination against coronavirus.
Only 6 in 10 diabetes patients fully vaccinated
An analysis made on 1 September showed that only 60% of patients suffering from diabetes had fully been vaccinated.
The head of the "Andrija Štampar" School of Public Health, Mirjana Kujundžić Tiljak, called on diabetes patients to get vaccinated.
During today's event, doctors warned that 80% of diabetes patients are overweight.
The campaign for raising awareness about the importance of physical exercise for diabetes patients has been launched in Croatia to mark the centenary of the discovery of the hormone insulin, one of the most important breakthroughs in treating diabetes.
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