LILONGWE-(MaraviPost) – A local organization in Malawi, Community against Diabetes & Hypertension (CADH) this week opened the much awaited counseling centre in the capital Lilongwe, with the central quest to upscale awareness campaigns on diabetes.

Located at Biwi Township in the capital, the centre is the first of its kind to daily provide counseling, examination and testing of hypertension and diabetes patients.

The opening of the facility comes amid negative reports that most Malawians do not know about diabetes, the disease which is claiming many lives hence. There has also been the unmet need for curriculum integration in Malawi’s primary schools.

A CADH recent study revealed that 90 percent of men do not patronize peer groups on diabetes educator. This prompted the organization to revise and introduce its new Supporting Peer initiatives and opening the counseling centre.

These two approaches are aimed at directly giving diabetes patients with vital health messages for Lilongwe urban and rural dwellers.

In an interview with The Maravi Post, CADH Founder Olive Kadzakumanja, who is a retired midwife nurse, said the facility has been her life dream to serve the community.

Kadzakumanja who has championed the establishment of 17 Diabetes clubs (whereby in each group has over 50 registered members across the central region), expressed sadness over the rate the disease was harshly affecting the communities.

She said that through the CADH mobile, community clinics aims to reach and help many diabetic patients in the central region; and through the counseling and testing services, the CADH would help reduce the disease’s escalation.

Kadzakumanja said she used her retirement savings to establish this, her longtime dream

“The country is loosing many lives due to lack of proper messages through counseling.  The centre will provide such services closer to the community,” she said.

In her remarks, Julian Lunguzu, who is the Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Health, commended the CADH for the initiative and said its opening is timely as it will save many lives.

Lunguzi who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Dedza East, then challenged the various authorities in the health sector to support the facility’s operations with the required resources.

She assured the public that her committee will lobby for more funding on Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) which include diabetes, cancer and hypertension and that such funds should reach the community initiatives such as the CADH.

“The country’s fiscal year plan is usually not clear as to how much must be allocated to NCD sector where diabetes, cancer, High Blood Pressure among others, are not given enough resources for peoples’ proper medication and awareness,” Lunguzi said.

Lunguzi said that for screening alone, diabetes, requires US$75, while its management needs US$51 but reported that this was not allocated in the national budget.

“Such lack of commitment on provision of enough resources for this alarming and emerging chronic disease, continues posing threat to people in the country”, Lunguzi said.

CADH is a local organization that serves local communities in awareness for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and hypertension whose main objective is to improve the lives of people affected by diabetes in its prevention, management and cure targeting communities, religious groups, primary secondary, and tertiary education.