Diguan is the name of a virtual character, protagonist of an educational project, who must learn to face situations similar to those of a teenager with type 1 diabetes, while relating to his usual environment of friends and family.
Within the framework of World Diabetes Day, which is celebrated on November 14, the Spanish Diabetes Society (SED), the Spanish Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (SEEP) and the Federation of Spanish Diabetics (FEDE) have presented this initiative today, entirely conceived to help the adolescent in the management of his ailment and to normalize it before society.
Diabetes is one of the main sanitary challenges facing Spain today.It is estimated that 14 % of the population, and approximately 130,000 minors suffer from it.It is the main chronic disease in Spain, these being the largest source of public health expenditure, and its incidence is expected to increase due to the increase in obesity and sedentary life.Dr. Sonia Gaztambide, president of SED, explained that this project has been developed with "new technologies to 'hook' more to the teenager in therapeutic education and improve their adhesion and commitment to diabetes."
For his part, Luís Castaño, president of the SEEP, has influenced the fact that "the transition of child with diabetes to teenager with diabetes" is a "critical moment" and it is especially important to give support to those changes "to help you maintainand improve the control "of your pathology.The project consists of four elements: a microsite (www.diguan.es), a video blog (www.diguanblog.es), a YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/diguantube) and a video game (www.diguangame.es)which can also be downloaded for mobile devices.
The president of Fede, Ángel Cabrera, has affirmed that it is part of his responsibility to collaborate with doctors, educators and environment to provide people with diabetes with all possible tools so that they are able to effectively manage their problem.Diabetes mellitus affects more than 360 million people in the world.It is the first cause of blindness, renal substitute treatment (dialysis/transplant) and non -traumatic amputation in western countries, and is associated with cardiovascular diseases as the first cause of death.
