SIDCAIN co-opts children into walking diabetes out of Nigeria

Following increasing incidence of diabetes and its complication, Strategy for Improving Diabetes in Nigeria (SIDCAIN), a non-governmental organisation, instituted an essay competition among 40 secondary schools in Ibadan to engender healthy living and make them foot soldiers to fight diabetes in Nigeria.Speaking at the end of a walk and prize giving ceremony to mark this year's world diabetes day, SIDCAIN coordinator, Professor Christopher Alebiosu stated that the worrying increase in obesity among adolescents required they understand the importance of imbibing health lifestyle, including walking.Professor Alebiosu, who stated that through health clubs instituted by SIDCAIN in the school, the association had being supporting adolescents with educational materials and health talks, argued that school children need to learn the importance of exercises as well as imbibe it.According to Professor Alebiosu, 'children are the future of any community. If you let them know the importance of exercise and they imbibe it, they would not end up being overweight or obese and then diseases associated with obesity such as diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, heart attack and stroke will not be there, That is the whole essence of catch them young approach and the basis of instituting SIDCAIN health club in these schools.'He pointed out that even just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day was associated with a three-year increase in life expectancy and a 14 per cent reduction in risk of death by any cause, compared with a sedentary lifestyle.At the event supported by other organisations such as Arrow Head Production and Unique Soccer Academy, Mr Sola Akinwale took the participating students through basic exercises they need to be healthy.It also witnessed the handing over of prices to the best three students that participated in the essay competition entitled 'Prevention: the key to health delivery'; the best 10 school health clubs and three teachers from these schools.Miss Temiloluwa Adedeji, a senior secondary school 2 student from Rhema International School, Oluyole, Ibadan, the best student in the competition won a minilaptop. The second prize went to Bola-Saliu Oluwasorefunmi from Hall Mark College, Ibadan while the third prize was won by Adebayo Olalekan from the George and Duke College, Ibadan. In addition, the health club at the winning school received a desktop computer.
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