New guide to help diabetics fast during Ramadan

Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan can be tricky for diabetics, who risk having their blood sugar levels spike or plummet if they do not do it right.

But a new guide on fasting for diabetics, put together by non-profit organisation Diabetes Singapore, hopes to change this.

The booklet contains seven tips on how diabetics can fast safely, including information on portion control and the best times to test one's blood sugar levels.

It is available in both English and Malay, and will be distributed at mosques nationwide.

The initiative is part of a campaign called the Special Education in Diabetes and Awareness Programme - Sedap for short - to raise awareness of diabetes in the Malay community.

TIMELY

"It's quite timely because Ramadan is just around the corner," said Parliamentary Secretary for Health Rahayu Mahzam, who is one of the leaders of a workgroup set up to improve the health of ethnic minority groups in Singapore.

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Around 14.4 per cent of Malays and 14.2 per cent of Indians have diabetes, compared with 8.2 per cent of Chinese.

"It's actually the best time for us to encourage and nudge healthy behaviours, (because) people are more reflective and they also look at the health components of fasting," Ms Rahayu said on Saturday.

She was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at Our Tampines Hub that aimed to raise awareness of diabetes and its complications.

Under the Sedap campaign, a series of talks and courses will be held to help diabetics of all ethnicities better manage their health.

During the event, Diabetes Singapore inked a three-year deal with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to help those with diabetes spot complications associated with the disease as early as they can.

The company will provide technology needed to quickly and easily screen patients for chronic kidney disease, a complication that people with diabetes can be susceptible to.