By Helen Sophos and Puleng Tlhabanelo

In South Africa, Novo Nordisk educated an entire school in diabetes and prevention of diabetes. The message is expected to reach a large number of people in the suburbs of Cape Town.

Our main activity for World Diabetes Day was focused on a school in an underprivileged suburb in Cape Town. On Monday the 13 November 2006, we visited Hillwood Primary School, where our Product Manager, Puleng Tlhabanelo, delivered an educational talk on diabetes and diabetes prevention through healthy living to a large representation of the 900 students as well as the teachers. The talk was very relevant as diabetes is a problem in the school illustrated by the fact that one of the teachers had a serious hypoglycaemic event just that week.

Small gifts with a huge impact
All 900 children received a school bag containing a pencil case with contents to help them in their studies and a branded Frisbee to stimulate exercise as well as a branded cap to protect them from the sun. The bag also contained some relevant information for the children to lead a discussion on diabetes prevention at home. We were overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response of the pupils and we had no idea of the impact that these small gifts had.

Message reaches a large number of people

Each child comes from a family of at least 4-5 people as the extended family (grandparents, cousins, uncles and aunts) usually stay in the same home. This means that our educational leaflet would reach many more people than 900. We expect at least 3600 people would receive educational information on the symptoms of diabetes, where to go for help and diagnosis. Such information is viewed as very valuable in communities where little is given freely.

It was discovered that most children were aware of family members with diabetes, and some had been present when these family members had suffered from hypo/hyperglycaemic incidences but were unaware of what to do. The teachers and children were educated on how to tell the difference between hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia and what to do in each case – a potentially life saving knowledge.

Finally, the event was an opportunity to invite the teachers, the pupils and their families to the Changing Diabetes Bus in Cape Town from 3 to the 8 December 2006, for more information.