She explained that the condition arose when the body could not produce insulin, an essential hormone that facilitated the breakdown of carbohydrates into energy.
She has, therefore, urged parents and guardians to seek early health support and care for children with diagnosed diabetes or experiencing symptoms of the disease.
Dr Manu was speaking at a workshop organised by the National Diabetes Association in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Life for a Child programme on pediatric and adolescent diabetes at Winneba in the Central Region.
The three-day workshop was attended by about 100 medical professionals, including nurses, doctors, and pharmacists from the 16 regions of the country.
Dr Manu further said it was untrue that only older individuals were prone to diabetes.
Emphasising insulin's importance, Dr Manu stated that it played a key role in ensuring that carbohydrates consumed in food were processed into energy for the body.
Dr Manu also said it was unfortunate that some parents mistakenly resorted to punishing children for bedwetting, not realising it could be a symptom of diabetes.
She encouraged parents to seek medical attention if their children exhibited such signs, warning that delaying treatment could lead to severe complications such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which could be life-threatening.
Unique challenges
The Chairperson of the International Diabetes Federation for the Africa Region and founder of the National Diabetes Association, Elizabeth Esi Denyoh, said Ghana’s healthcare system faced unique challenges where nurses and pharmacists often took on central roles due to the limited number of doctors.
This, she explained, made it essential to include all healthcare professionals in such training programmes.
Ms Denyoh advised health practitioners to encourage diabetic patients to adhere to their insulin treatments and avoid discouraging them, saying insulin was vital for managing the condition and proper patient education was crucial to improving compliance.
She also expressed concern about the practice of referring patients to multiple doctors for diabetes management, suggesting that healthcare workers adopt a more unified approach.
She advised them to focus on “consistent and critical straightforward handling of insulin cases” to ensure that patients receive the best possible care.
A participant, Dr Augustine Kwesi Kusi, expressed his gratitude to the organisers for putting together such an insightful workshop.
He emphasised that the experience had been incredibly enriching, stating that he had gained valuable new knowledge and perspectives that would significantly enhance his approach to treating diabetes, particularly in children.
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