Bahrain has one of the highest rates of diabetes prevalence in the world, said its Health Ministry.

According to new figures released by the ministry yesterday (August 17), 15.4 per cent of Bahrainis aged over 20 suffer from diabetes, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

A further 20 per cent of Bahrainis are likely to develop diabetes, it said.

Minister of State for Defence Affairs Lieutenant-General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa stressed the importance of promoting healthy lifestyles among diabetic children and their parents.

Dr Shaikh Mohammed, who is also the chairman of the Bahrain Diabetes Society, stressed its crucial role in helping diabetic children live with the disease, improve their own condition and integrate effective self-management into their daily lives.

He also said a state-of-the-art headquarters for the society will soon be built in A'ali.

The society will also continue to organise events to raise awareness about diabetes, he said. - TradeArabia News Service