By Yemurai Sammantha Machirori.
Being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at a fairly young age has taught me the importance of life and has also made me grow up at a much faster pace than most people of my age. My name is Yemurai Machirori, I am a 26 year-old lady from Zimbabwe. I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in September 2004 and yes, everyday has brought a new lesson for me: a lesson about life in general but most importantly lessons about my health.
To most people, diabetes is just a condition that can be prevented through a change of lifestyle and eating habits – a notion which is misinformed and highly simplistic. People living with diabetes and/or their caregivers go through daily challenges that others out of those health situations do not understand. These challenges that most people living with diabetes experience on a daily basis include emotional turmoil, stigmatization and discrimination.
My country’s ailing economy which has now lasted for over a decade, means that people with diabetes have to go through mental, physical and emotional hoops just to access their much needed medication and diabetes supplies. This means that people living with diabetes do not only have to go through the stress of living in communities that think that diabetes can be cured using traditional methods or through religious beliefs but also have to go through the stress of not being able to afford basic diabetes medication and supplies because they simply cannot find jobs.
With such a complex interplay of social, economic, biological and cultural factors, how then can diabetes management be made easier?. When the current environment is so hostile, how easy is it for one to ‘change’ their lifestyle? Even though diabetes management has evolved significantly over the years mainly due to new technology and advances in treatment options, these technologies and modifications in diabetes management are seen as “curses” by some people especially because of the high costs that they come with. The diabetes community welcomes these technologies and treatment options, but until social and economic changes are made, there is still much to be done.
While people living with diabetes need to adjust their lifestyles so that they are able to manage their condition well, it is also important for people and policy makers to realize that people with diabetes need assistance so that management becomes easier. One such level of help can be through policy makers prioritizing access to insulin and other diabetes supplies (especially in the most remote places). Being a young advocate of diabetes has made me view diabetes management from a new perspective, it has broadened my knowledge of the condition and made me understand that if diabetes management is not tackled wholesomely, it will not only cost those that are living with the condition but will also rob economies in the long run because of the high costs that are associated with poor diabetes management. Therefore, diabetes education must also be extended to all areas, while health practitioners should be trained extensively on diabetes care and management.
Ultimately, diabetes management does not only involve taking diabetes medicines, exercising daily and eating right. Successful management involves one having a strong support system, an educated and well informed society and lastly, easy accessibility and affordability of diabetes drugs. The time to act is NOW!
Yemurai Sammantha Machirori, IDF Young Leader in Diabetes Africa Representative, Zimbabwe