Indigenous men in Fiji lose limbs due to diabetes

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – A disturbing trend has been found in the island nation of Fiji, where an increasing number of men from a particular region are facing limb amputations.

Dr. Timoci Qereqeretabua said an increasing number of men between the age of 50 and 64 living in the Suva-Nausori corridor of the country are losing their legs to diabetes, daily The Fiji Times reported on Friday.

The iTaukei, or 'Owners of the Land,' are the largest indigenous people in Fiji, and they live in a region known as Melanesia. Fiji’s total population accounts for less than a million.

“This is worrying because a high number of our working population and young population is getting amputated at a very young age,” said Qereqeretabua, who is surgeon general at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH).

According to World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke, and lower limb amputation.

“Being iTaukei is a risk factor as most of the below-knee amputations involve young Fijian men.”

The doctor said data showed 71% of “below-knee amputations in 2016 and 2017 were iTaukei and 69% of them lived in the Suva-Nausori corridor.”

The Suva-Nausori corridor consists of three municipalities of Suva, Nasinu, and Nausori.

“This is interesting because we thought access to hospital care was a problem, but we realized 69% of those who had the amputation live within the Suva-Nausori area where access to health care is not a problem.

“Maybe it’s the health-seeking behavior of individuals,” the surgeon general added.

Besides, most people do not know they are diabetic, he said and added, “75% of people coming into hospitals have uncontrolled sugar levels.”

“We are managing the complications of diabetes but what can we do to control the sugar before they come for an amputation is a key factor in managing diabetes,” he said.

Hospital records showed “one diabetes-related amputation is conducted every 17 hours at the CWM Hospital alone and diabetes-related surgeries accounted for 40 to 50% of a surgeon’s work at CWMH,” according to the news report.

It added in 2017, 578 diabetes-related amputations were done at the CWM, Lautoka, and Labasa hospitals.

Early this month, the WHO said the number of people with diabetes rose from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014.

“Prevalence has been rising more rapidly in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries,” the world health body said.

“In 2019, diabetes was the ninth leading cause of death with an estimated 1.5 million deaths directly caused by diabetes,” it added.