A new diabetes center will open within four months in south Jeddah, according to senior health officials who warned that incidence of the disease in the Saudi population has increased from 25 percent to 28. The SR5.5 million center will have clinics, including one for ophthalmology, a laboratory, an x-ray department, and a pharmacy, said Dr. Sami Ba-Dawood, director general of the Jeddah General Directorate of Health Affairs. He made the announcement at the recent two-day Second Diabetes and Endocrinology Conference held at the King Abdul Aziz Hospital and Oncology Center (KAHOC.) Underscoring the Ministry of Health's aim to educate Saudis about diabetes and its complications, Dr. Ba-Dawood said there should be more lectures and media campaigns on promoting healthy lifestyles that help avoid the disease. “We want to have as safe societies as possible,” he said. Dr. Ba-Dawood, KAHOC supervisor general, said the diabetes rate, which has risen to 28 percent of the Saudi population, can be brought down only with a move away from a sedentary lifestyle. “Many of us don't practice any kind of sports on a daily basis,” he said, urging Saudis to avoid diabetes by physically exerting themselves more often. __
