The Honourable Deputy Minister for Health, Mr Aboagye Gyedu, has called on all to embrace the preventive approach towards the fight against diabetes which includes healthy diets, regular physical activities, maintaining a normal body weight and monitoring blood sugar levels.  He made this statement during this year’s World Diabetes Day Celebration at Bibiani in the Western Region of Ghana under the theme “The family and Diabetes: it is our collective responsibility”. 
Mr Aboagye Gyedu pledged Government’s commitment and support for Diabetes Prevention and Control Programmes especially for the provision of screening services at all levels of health service delivery.
The WHO Representative, Dr Owen Kaluwa indicated that the growing prevalence of obesity and overweight was due to a combination of poor diets resulting from aggressive marketing of foods rich in fats, sugar and salt.  He added that reducing the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes required a life-course approach starting early in childhood and continuing throughout adolescence to adulthood.
“Healthy nutritious diets should be available at home and school and children should be encouraged to engage in physical activities” he said.
Dr Kaluwa appealed to the government to ensure that people have access to early detection, diagnosis and treatment. He also urged Governments should also accelerate access to such services for everyone, through people-centred primary health care and universal health coverage.
Solidarity messages were presented by the Western Regional Director for health Services, Dr John Mahama , National Diabetes Association and the Bibiani Municipal Coordinating Council.   All the messages underscored  the impact of diabetes on individuals and families, and the important role they play in the prevention and control of the disease.