Pregnant women get free testing for diabetes

A public health worker is encouraging pregnant women to have a free diabetes test atNational Capital District urban clinics.
As part of annual World Diabetes Day observation yesterday, NCD urban clinics are providing free checkups for a week.
Dr Joyce Sauk, from NCD health, said pregnant woman around Port Moresby should have free screening done to try to avoid gestational diabetes during their pregnancy at a later stage.
Sauk said gestational diabetes developed during pregnancy but did not cause any obvious signs or symptoms but like other types of diabetes, it affected how cells used sugar and caused high blood sugar.
“The theme for this year’s World Diabetes Day is ‘Diabetes and Woman’ so we would like to give priority to women and pregnant women to get checked to see if they have developed gestational diabetes or have gestational diabetes,” Sauk said.  “The main function on the day was to create activities to help promote, advocate and control diabetes in PNG.”
Sauk said most PNG women were not aware of gestational diabetes but it could cause high blood sugar that could affect
their pregnancy and their baby’s health.
She encouraged woman to eat healthy and exercise regularly.