RAMADAN IS a holy month of the year for over one billion Muslims and is one of five main pillars of Islam. 

The month will for this year start globally on Saturday, June 28.

During this month, Muslims are obliged to abstain from eating, drinking, taking oral medications, and smoking from before dawn until after sunset.

The effects of ageing populations, urbanisation, physical inactivity levels, and poor diets are making type 2 diabetes a commonplace in Muslim communities. Based on a worldwide diabetes prevalence of 8.3%, it is estimated that over 50 million diabetic Muslims fast for a month each year.

Although the Qur’an (the sacred religious text of Islam) specifically exempts people with a medical condition from the duty of fasting, many Muslims with diabetes may not perceive themselves as sick and are still keen to fast. This needlessly places millions at risk of the damaging effects of hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia and dehydration.

Diabetes is a serious, life-threatening condition that can lead to kidney damage, poor circulation and nerve damage. It is the leading cause of blindness and damage to the blood vessels that can increase the risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack. 

To address this growing concern, representatives from the Ministry of Health and diabetes experts from across sub-Saharan Africa are launching a new tool to help diabetics manage their condition safely during Ramadan. The Managing Diabetes During Ramadan Conversation Map ™ educates users on the impact of fasting on blood sugar levels and how a diabetes management plan can lower the risk of complications.

Created by Healthy Interactions in collaboration with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and sponsored by Lilly Diabetes, the Managing Diabetes During Ramadan Map is the latest in a range of Conversation Map ™ tools that was launched at the Pan-African Diabetes Educator Group (PADEG) conference in Nairobi.

According to the IDF, the number of people with diabetes is expected to double by 2035 in the Africa region. Ominously for Africa’s capacity to develop, more than three quarters of deaths from diabetes complications in 2013 occurred in people under the age of 60.

"Over 600 000 people died of diabetes complications in Africa last year,” said Dr David Chaney, Senior Education Specialist at IDF. "It is important that we address fasting during Ramadan in order to tackle complications facing people with diabetes, which include hypoglycaemic or low blood sugar episodes, which can result in long term damage to the body”.

As of March 2013, Conversation Map™ education tools have been in use in over 120 countries, are available in 38 languages and approximately 200 Expert Trainers are engaged to train and support facilitators around the globe.

"Conversation Map™ tools are key to managing the diabetes epidemic across Africa and globally,” said Barbara Eichorst of Healthy Interactions. "The Conversation Map ™ educates both healthcare professionals and the person with diabetes on how to develop an individualized diabetes management plan to ensure blood glucose levels are safely controlled and consequently minimize the complications of diabetes”.

The new guidelines emphasise the importance of individualising care on the basis of patients’ social, cultural, and religious needs. Diabetic patients who want to fast are advised to receive an assessment before Ramadan and on-going education to increase awareness about the potential risks associated with fasting.

Dr Couillard is an international health columnist that works in collaboration with the World Health Organization’s goals of disease prevention and control.

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