“Around 26,000 children in Turkey suffer from type 1 diabetes.”

Istanbul

Experts say about 26,000 children in Turkey have type 1 diabetes, 65 percent of whom are of primary school age.

Speaking at a conference on diabetes in school-age children, Shukur Khatun from Koc University's Faculty of Medicine called attention to the issue, saying that the figures equate to 15,000 diabetic children in primary schools alone.

The conference focused on supporting children with type 1 diabetes and also featured an awards ceremony for a program that recognized educators, school administrators and medical professionals for their outstanding efforts in identifying and supporting children with diabetes symptoms in the classroom.

The School Diabetes Program is designed to help teachers, school administrators, school nurses and other school staff recognize early symptoms of diabetes in children, guide diagnosis, and recognize and support the needs of children with diabetes in schools.

Within the scope of this programme, various activities have been carried out since 2010 and the Ministry of Education has also issued a directive on diabetes care in schools.

Pinar Kaya, a Turkish spokesman for drug maker Sanofi, stressed the important role educators play in improving the social, academic and health lives of these children.

The conference also aimed to provide essential training to health officers from the Ministry of Education to further support children with diabetes in state and district schools across the country, thus facilitating a ripple effect of awareness and support from top to bottom.