Durham Coalition Forms To Fight Diabetes

Health

Durham Coalition Forms To Fight Diabetes

瓜神app | By Gurnal Scott

Published October 12, 2012 at 5:00 AM EDT

Several Durham County groups are partnering to fight a high rate of diabetes in adults. The Durham Diabetes Coalition brings together health groups, churches and government to teach people about the dangers of the disease. County statistics show that 12 percent of Durham County adults live with diabetes. The statewide average is nine percent. Health educator Chasity Newkirk says the challenge is getting people screened, especially African Americans.

Chasity Newkirk: A lot of the black community do not go to the doctor so this initiative is just to kind of bring them to the doctor. What's going to happen at our event, we're going to offer blood pressure and blood sugar screenings as well as have additional health information and physical activity portions and health seminars for those in the community.

Newkirk says the coalition is planning screening events and seminars on diabetes education in November. So far, the Durham coalition is the only such partnership in the state. Cabarrus County is planning a similar effort.

Tags

Gurnal Scott

Gurnal Scott joined North Carolina Public Radio in March 2012 after several stops in radio and television. After graduating from the College of Charleston in his South Carolina hometown, he began his career in radio there. He started as a sports reporter at 瓜神app/Talk Radio WTMA and won five Sportscaster of the Year awards. In 1997, Gurnal moved on to television as general assignment reporter and weekend anchor for WCSC-TV in Charleston. He anchored the market's top-rated weekend newscasts until leaving Charleston for Memphis, TN in 2002. Gurnal worked at WPTY-TV for two years before returning to his roots in radio. He joined the staff of Memphis' 瓜神appRadio 600 WREC in 2004 eventually rising to 瓜神app Director. In 2006, Raleigh news radio station WPTF came calling and he became the station's chief correspondent. Gurnal鈥檚 reporting has been honored by the South Carolina Broadcasters Association, the North Carolina Associated Press, and the Radio Television Digital 瓜神app Association of the Carolinas.

See stories by Gurnal Scott