Tonga Youth Diabetes Report 2012/2013 Launched by His Majesty King Tupou VI at the 76th USP Council Meeting
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The King of Tonga, His Majesty King Tupou VI, launched the Tonga Youth Diabetes Report 2012/2013 on the second day of the 76th USP Council Meeting which was held from 15 to 16 May, 2013 in Nuku’alofa, in Tonga.
In launching the report to the Council members, His Majesty recognised the great opportunity for the report methodology and findings to be of use to other Pacific countries.
The report commissioned by The King’s Coronation Charity Trust was the result of a national research carried out by a research team from USP Tonga Campus led by the Campus Director, Dr ‘Ana Koloto, the principal researcher and author.
The survey aimed to gather reliable data to inform The Trust’s plan to undertake a national educational campaign, to help reduce the prevalence of diabetes.
The study was based on a nation-wide quantitative survey of 1,500 youths aged between 14 and 25 years, qualitative fono with 214 youths, and six in-depth case studies of youths with Type 2 diabetes.
Copies of the report were presented by His Majesty to the Tongan Ministers for Health and Education, the Pro Chancellor and Chair of Council, Mr Ikbal Jannif, and to Professor Konai Thaman, a member of the USP Council whose research framework ‘Kakala” had been used by the research team in the study.
The study found that Tongan youth are surrounded by people with diabetes: 87% have a church member with diabetes, 34% of Tongan youth live with a family member that has diabetes, 39% have extended family members with diabetes, and 21% have close friends who have diabetes.
While the study shows that Tongan youth are very aware of the causes and consequences of diabetes, one of the key findings of the study is that 64% of Tonga’s youths have the misconception that diabetes can be cured, and another 17% do not know.
His Majesty noted that the negative impact is far-reaching with both social and economic costs and that treatment of diabetes is increasingly expensive for Tonga, and suggested that urgent action be taken to address the negative impact of diabetes on youth.
The report also showed that there are lost opportunities for education with young people being removed from schools due to diabetes.
His Majesty said the Trust would require collaboration with Government, the community at large, and with potential sponsors to implement the report’s recommendations.
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