Youth diabetes increasing in Tonga, says King [1]
Thursday, May 16, 2013 - 19:14. Updated on Monday, September 9, 2013 - 18:40.
King Tupou VI, at the Fa'onelua Centre, Nuku'alofa, Tonga. 16 May 2013
Diabetes cannot be cured, Tonga's King Tupou VI said today and expressed concern that an increasing number of youth are being diagnosed with the disease in Tonga.
"Young people are being removed from school because of diabetes and more than half of the case studies have lost their mothers because of diabetes," he said in launching the 2012-13 Tonga Youth Diabetes Study Report.
These negative impacts of the disease on young people's quality of life need urgent attention, he said.
King Tupou VI attended the 76th Meeting of the University of the South Pacific Council at the Fa'onelua Convention Centre today May 16, to launch the report of a study commissioned by a King's Coronation Charity Trust, founded by the late King George Tupou V.
The national study aimed to gather reliable data for the Trust, which planned to undertake a national educational program campaign to help reduce the prevalence of diabetes.
A USP Tonga research team undertook a nationwide quantitative survey of 1,500 youths between the ages of 14-25, with 214 youths and six in-depth case studies of youths with Type 2 diabetes.
The King said that the study showed Tonga's youths were surrounded by people with diabetes, "so while they are very aware of the causes and consequences, one of the key findings of the study is that 81 percent of the youths have a misconception that diabetes can be cured," he said.
The case studies showed the impact of diabetes not just on youths concerned but also on their respective families. "The treatment of diabetes is increasingly expensive for Tonga and more so for the future," he said.
The King also noted the social and economic costs of the disease and lost educational opportunities for those affected.
He said the report contains important findings and recommendations not only for the Trust but for the health and education sectors and community at large.
"The Trust now needs to design a variety of programs and targeted approaches to youths and ensure information is penetrated to them. It's a daunting task for the Trust to implement the report's recommendations on its own, it will require a collaboration of the government, our community at large and with potential sponsors," he said.
Vision
He said it was the late King George Tupou V's vision that the Trust contributes to work currently undertaken in Tonga to combat diabetes.
Although adults are traditionally the ones diagnosed with diabetes in Tonga there is an increasing number of youth being diagnosed with the disease. In pursing His Late Majesty's vision the Trust commissioned the study to focus on youth diabetes, he said.
Awareness
The report, which is now available to the public, stated key recommendations for the King's Coronation Charity Trust, including that the youth of Tonga be the target group for its efforts to help reduce the prevalence of diabetes. These included recommendations:
• To implement a comprehensive community-based program to raise the youth awareness of diabetes and its consequences and to demystify diabetes. A key message for these programs would be, 'diabetes cannot be cured.'
• Programs to be delivered by the youth who have diabetes, working together with health professionals and other community leaders, among other recommendations.
Attending the launch were Princess Pilolevu Tuita, Princess Mele Siu'ilikutapu, USP Council members, including Pacific Education Ministers from member states, with Tonga's Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano, the Minister of Education Hon. Dr 'Ana Taufe'ulungaki, USP Tonga campus Director Dr 'Ana Koloto and other guests.