Vishanna Phagoo

Although diabetes prevalence seems to be on the decline within the 20-79 age group, the figure may not be accurate as there are still a lot of people who may not have been testing for the non-communicable disease. A recent report by the World Bank Group showed a drop from 14.1 per cent in 2000 to 12.7 per cent in 2021 of people living with diabetes within that age group in Trinidad and Tobago. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high.

The Diabetes Association of TT (DATT) recently launched its Youth Advocacy Branch, chaired by 19-year-old David Gobin.

Gobin, an aspiring doctor, applied to the youth internship programme as a way of furthering his career in the medical field.

He told Newsday, “Firstly, I love volunteerism. Just the fact that I’m able to offer my services, especially to vulnerable groups in our country without expecting much in return brings great satisfaction to me. Secondly, being part of an non-profit organisation was on my list of goals to accomplish since I finished secondary school.”

He said he learned to test glucose and pressure levels in blood and how to effectively conduct research.

“These skills would come in handy as it would prepare me for the start of my medical school journey and even my future career as an established medical practitioner. Additionally, I would be able to become a certified volunteer, doing regular testing for anyone who may be interested.”

Gobin said no one in his immediate family has been diagnosed with diabetes, but learning these skills were in keeping with his “knowledge is power” stance, and as a way of being able to make informed decisions. He said knowing the importance of screening for diabetes can assist in combating the incidence rate of the disease.

“In terms of importance to myself, I’ve realised that my health is my greatest wealth. I would also like to impart my knowledge and expertise onto the other members in the youth branch and the nation’s youths by extension, seeing that we are the future of TT,” Gobin said.

He said during the internship, the youth branch was responsible for doing blood glucose and blood pressure tests on other interns at DATT’s head office in Chaguanas, and blood-type tests at the a biology lab at the UWI, St Augustine campus with the help a medical lab technician.

[caption id="attachment_985951" align="alignnone" width="1024"] David Gobin, chairperson of the Diabetes Association of TT’s Youth Advocacy Branch. - JEFF K MAYERS[/caption]

“We did have a two-day camp in late August for children with type one diabetes, which is diagnosed very early on in someone’s life. There were a decent number of kids living with type one diabetes, which is an autoimmune condition whereby the body attacks itself and the person isn’t able to produce insulin. So these children would have to be injected with insulin and check their blood glucose levels very frequently. Type two, on the other hand, is more prevalent in adults, not necessarily in younger people

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