FBNBank and the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) are collaborating to fight diabetes starting with the commemoration of World Diabetes Day under the theme “Education to Protect Tomorrow.”

The agenda for the collaboration is to reduce the threat that diabetes poses and this will be undertaken through several ways including the platform which World Diabetes Day offers.

FBNBank and UGMC are therefore coming together to mark World Diabetes Day 2022.

The entire celebration is to create awareness of diabetes and the need for people to know one’s diabetic status, early detection, early management and also prevent future complications.

The programme for the celebration includes a public lecture on diabetes which is scheduled for Friday, November 11, at the Medical Training and Simulation Centre (MTSC) and a screening exercise on Monday, November 14 at the Banking Square of the University of Ghana.

The focus of this year’s celebration is to bridge the education gap by providing the general public with enough evidence-based information in order to deepen awareness.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 422 million people worldwide have diabetes and the majority are living in low-and-middle-income countries with an estimated 1.5 million deaths directly attributed to the medical condition each year.

Commenting, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of FBNBank, Victor Yaw Asante said, “for us at FBNBank, this is another opportunity to renew our service to our stakeholders. FBNBank has over the years made health and wellness one of our topmost priorities.

"The Bank this year has already made enormous contributions to the health and wellbeing of people. We have partnered with Rotary in the fight against Polio and through our Women’s Network partnered Pink for Africa in the fight against Breast Cancer.

"We have also supported the Lifeline for Childhood Cancer Ghana Foundation in order to bring hope and opportunities to persons facing medical challenges. We do these because as a Bank, we have over the years remained committed to putting our stakeholders, clients and customers, especially at the heart of what we do.

"We believe strongly that knowledge can give us the right traction on the path to success in this endeavour and together we will use that to help people overcome the challenge diabetes poses to their health and wellbeing.”

The UGMC has welcomed the support of FBNBank in the fight against diabetes and looks forward to the two parties working together to achieve the expected goals including the deepening of awareness of diabetes among staff in corporate entities.

According to Julius Evame Agbagba, a dietician at the University of Ghana Medical Centre, “The main focus of this year’s celebration is to bridge the education gap by providing the general public with enough evidence-based information about this condition and to call for a national consensus in addressing it.

"The University of Ghana Medical Centre is organizing this year’s World Diabetes Day, with the Department of Dietetics and Food Therapeutics leading the way, to promote information among the general public but with a special focus on the corporate world.

"This is because like other non-communicable diseases (NCDs), Type 2 Diabetes is lifestyle related considering the work schedule of most staff in the corporate industry, the probability of them developing the condition is high and we believe that as professionals, it is our mandate to ensure that we provide the people with adequate and evidence-based information to help them make good lifestyle choices.”

FBNBank has in its 26 years of operating in Ghana remained focused on putting its customers and communities first.

This, it has sought to do through the rich value and excellence of what the Bank contributes to the relationship with its stakeholders as a whole, particularly the customers.

FBNBank Ghana is a member of the First Bank of Nigeria Limited Group which is renowned for its great customer service and general stakeholder engagement garnered over its 128 years of operation.

FBNBank Ghana has 25 branches and two agencies across the country with over 500 staff. FBNBank offers universal banking services to individuals and businesses in Ghana.