ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) observed World Diabetes Day, re-pledging its commitment to address the socio-economic problems of the society, through academic input and research-based activities.
In this connection, a symposium was arranged by the University’s Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences.
The speakers included Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Siddiqui and renowned physician Dr Iftikhar Ahmed Malik, Dean Federal Govt. Polyclinic, Postgraduate Medical Institute.
They talked about “Diabetes awareness, Prevention and Management and underlined the need of public awareness to check chronic disease.
Dr Shahid Siddique said that the University will continue its efforts of promoting research work on the important issues of the society’s concerns.
The University has published fourteen research journals during the last three years that mainly related to the socio-economic issues.
In the recent years, the AIOU has been turned into vibrant center of academic social, literary activities that was aimed at projecting matters of public interest, he said adding that the symposium is a humble effort on the part of the University to improve basic knowledge on Diabetes and to ensure its better management.
He appreciated the Department of Biology for organizing the event. By promoting the research environment, the Universities could help to fill the knowledge-gap in bringing the country at par with developed nations, he added.
According to the focal person of the event, Dr Ayesha Kiani, the event provided them good opportunity to increase awareness about diabetes, its causes, treatments and management.
They shared on the occasion the results of a survey recently conducted to assess the prevalence and awareness of Diabetes among the University’s employees.
According to the survey about 8% of the employs are suffering from diabetes.
Glucometers were distributed on the occasion among the affected once by Vice Chancellor. These were donated by Yashfeen Trust. The inaugural session followed by the working session that was addressed by Prof. Dr Jamal Zafar, Chairman Department of Medicine in Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University. He spoke about the complications of Diabetes and sensitized the participants as how they could manage the disease if get affected.
