Receive a free blood glucose screening and learn how dogs can detect problems with blood sugar levels at World Health Day events.
The Ohio University Global Health Initiative will celebrate international World Health Day on Thursday to raise awareness for diabetes with the help of a furry friend.
World-renowned dog trainer Debby Kay will give a presentation on how she trains dogs to be helpful companions to people who have diabetes.
Kay teaches dogs how to tell when a diabetic’s blood sugar drops or spikes outside of the preferred range through smell, and how to alert his or her owner accordingly, Kaylee Powers, OU Global Health Initiative student marketing assistant, said.
Kay, whose program has grown to an international level with trained dogs in 22 different countries, also will address how those dogs can be used therapeutically for their owners.
World Health Day is sponsored each year by World Health Organization on April 7. Powers has planned several informative events for the day about diabetes, the theme for 2016.
“What we’re really trying to do is make this very interdisciplinary so it’s interesting for people who aren’t just health majors, because diabetes affects everybody,” Powers, a junior studying strategic communication, said.
There will be interactive tables available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., one of which will feature a healthy recipe demonstration and free samples from Live Healthy Appalachia, a local non-profit organization focused in part on helping people who are at risk for diabetes in finding healthy food options.
Another table will offer free blood glucose screenings, which Powers said plays a large part in determining a person’s risk for developing diabetes.
Powers said it is good for people to be aware of risk factors and the health effects of diabetes not only for themselves, but for the people close to them as well.
“This is a really great way to get a perspective on something you might not know a lot about,” she said. “I think being able to learn about your own risk factors and some of the prevention techniques and how to have a healthier lifestyle is really important.”
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Ty Tracy, a sophomore studying nursing who has Type 1 diabetes, said diabetes awareness is more important now than ever.
“I think diabetes awareness is really important … because a much larger percentage of the U.S. has diabetes now compared to five years ago,” he said. “It is important to know certain things like risk factors to prevent the national growth of diabetes.”
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