Funds for children in Kabul

It has all ready turned into a successful tradition for the World Diabetes Foundation to present a fundraising project at the International Management meeting (IM) in Novo Nordisk.

This year the IM was held in Denmark, attended by around 300 leaders from Novo Nordisk offices worldwide. From their private pockets the leaders donated money to the establishment of a diabetes clinic at the Indira Ghandi paediatric hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.

A video presentation followed by a speech by Afghan Sardar Isaqzai, a Novo Nordisk employee, made it possible for the World Diabetes Foundation to collect 74,763 DKK. The company of Novo Nordisk A/S and NOVO A/S multiplied the donations and together with a donation in March funds of the amount of more than 300,000 DKK ( 52,000 USD) have been raised.

Giving back hope to the children with diabetes

On his visit to the Indira Ghandi hospital Sardar Isaqzai met 10 year old Abdullah, who has type 1 diabetes: “He had lost all hope for the future. In his eyes was only disappointment. He told me he wanted to go to school, play soccer and be happy like other children. Instead he was admitted and did not know how long he would survive. I told him I had a son, also named Abdullah, and I promised that we would help him.”

Sardar and and 10 year old diabetic Abdullah in Kabul, Afghanistan

Sardar Isaqzai was the main speaker at the fundraising element of the meeting for more than one reason. As a refugee from Afghanistan he started a new life in Denmark, working his way up in Novo Nordisk, now being an employee at the insulin packaging plant in Hillerød, Denmark.

He had to leave Afghanistan because of the risk of being put to prison because of his membership of the People's Party which became illegal when the Mujahedin took over power in 1992. For 14 years he didn’t revisit his country and a great part of his family who still lives there.

“I grew up in Afghanistan and received my education there,” explains Sardar who is a civil engineer. “It has been my dream and my goal to be able to return and give something back to my people and my country.”

In 2004 however he got the chance. Novo Nordisk initiated, in cooperation with WDF and WHO, different projects to improve the situation for people with diabetes in Afghanistan, and Sardar was soon involved.

In May 2004 Sardar went on the first of several visits to Afghanistan to gather information about the state of diabetes care in the country. Although having been absent for 14 years he still had contacts and was able to help set up projects because of his knowledge. His wish to make a difference in Afghanistan is bound to come true.

Better prevention, detection and treatment in Afghanistan

The fundraising activity for the Indira Ghandi Hospital complements the greater project funded by The World Diabetes Foundation, which includes the upgrade of four existing diabetes clinics in Kabul.

Donations will supply the hospitals with basic supplies and equipment, including means for screening and training, and will also ensure the developing of treatment and clinical practice guidelines for doctors and healthcare professionals. Finally, the WDF will help to develop a training curriculum for nurses, educators and doctors.

The situation in Afghanistan and the state of diabetes care

• Afghanistan has endured 25 years of war and civil unrest. Today, ever-present U.S. troops and fighting between warlords remain a tense fact of life as the country bravely moves forward with reconstruction. The country suffers from  poverty, a lack of skilled and educated workers, a crumbling infrastructure and widespread land mines.
• While medical education in Kabul is acceptable, clinics and hospitals are in very bad shape. Most medicines, including insulin and tablets, are smuggled in from neighbouring countries. Moreover they are often expired (thus only offering 40% to 50% of their potency) and not stored properly, since working refrigerators are also scarce.   
• And, as elsewhere in the developing world, the healthcare focus is on communicable diseases – not chronic diseases like diabetes. It is estimated that 8% of the population or about 1 million people have diabetes, but screening and to a large degree treatment are lacking. As a result, people who do not even know they have diabetes enter the hospitals with diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, kidney failure and other severe complications.
  

To watch the video: The Afghanistan Project