DOHA: More than 1,000 people tested for diabetes in a specially designed screening zone located at Katara Cultural Village during the weekend.
Action on Diabetes (AoD), the leading public-private partnership initiated and funded by Maersk Oil Qatar to tackle diabetes in the country, has celebrated one of its busiest weekends of the year with two successful and well attended events to mark World Diabetes Day. Visitors to Katara Cultural Village were able to learn about healthy diets and exercise from educators and took tests in the custom-built AoD screening bus.
AoD is a public-private partnership with the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Healthcare Corporation, Qatar Diabetes Association and Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care.
During the past four years, AoD has screened about 32,000 people, engaged with thousands through awareness campaigns and supported more than 2,000 training opportunities through seven courses to build capacity and support professional development of doctors, nurses and diabetes educators, including training on latest techniques in diabetes treatment and support.
Separately, more than 100 competitors from over 20 corporations and ministries competed over the weekend in Maersk Oil Qatar Petroleum Challenge – the country’s largest corporate team-building event designed to raise awareness and funds to tackle diabetes.
In its fourth year, the challenge has raised more than QR1m to date, providing financial assistance for Al Bawasil camp for children with diabetes, at Aspire.
After two days of competition, the ‘You Can’t Diabeatus’ team from Maersk Oil were crowned overall winners of the challenge after securing the highest number of health points and beating off competition from teams, including the SCH, Schlumbeger, Oxy, Gulf Drilling International, Worley Parsons, Texas A&M, Tripletwo, Gasal, Dolphin Energy, Al Shaheen Weatherford and Philips.
This year saw participation of 20 teams from sectors as diverse as energy, health, higher education, advertising and professional services.
Participants competed in five stages that pushed them to the limit, including tasks that focused on strategy and decisionmaking and tested their ability to work as a team and activities that stretched their physical and mental agility.
Spread over 48 hours, each stage was themed around a key lifestyle issue related to diabetes such as healthy eating and avoiding long-term damage to feet and eyes.
Teams were required to solve problems, navigate their way around a specially designed course, run and ride mountain bikes and kayaks to succeed.
The Peninsula
