The Medical Women’s International Association (MWIA) has urged pregnant women in the country to go for regular screening for Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) while doing  their anti-natal.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the the association gave the advice on Thursday, in Abuja at the ongoing MWIA conference titled: “Accelerating Universal Health Coverage”.

Prof. Rosemary Ogu, the coordinator, Rivers State GDM Research Group, said that the screening was necessary not to infect the unborn baby with the disease.

Ogu, who is also a member of the World Diabetes Foundation noted that the screening was paramount for the baby to be alive.

”It is important to eradicate the effect of the disease on the general population,” she said.

She said that the GDM session was a review of the Rivers state world diabetes foundation, gestational diabetes mellitus group.

“Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) study group, is a research outfit in Rivers where we are concern about the effect of diabetes in pregnancy, which is called GDM.

“Because of the effect of diabetes on the general population, how it affects pregnant women and affect the unborn baby or may even kill the baby or affect the woman in the future, is why we need to educate people.

“There is need to screen the pregnant women, to find out those who are at risk of the disease. Those who may have diabetes in future and those whose babies may die because of diabetes, so that they can be prevented.

“This disease is preventable base on life style modification, base on physical activities, base on drug insulin, oral hyperglycaemia agent and anti diabetes drugs, they are all available,” she said.

She said that the Rivers State GDM study group of the MWIA was able to carried out this project over a three-year period in 42 communities in the state to find out the effect of the disease.

Ogu further said that the aim of the research was to prevent the adverse effect, the bad outcome associated with diabetes during pregnancy.

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She is of the view that, with the observant of health guidelines, Universal Health Coverage was possible in Nigeria, and called on all Nigerians to always adhered to health guidelines.

According to her, if all Nigerians will adhered to health guidelines, we will be doing a great work of reducing the effect of bad medical outcome on people, and also have a country of healthy people.