Have You Ever Thought About How Diseases Like Diabetes and Asthma Affect Children's Lives?

By Alice Njoki

Do you know what non-communicable diseases are?

Well, Non-communicable diseases, or NCDs, are illnesses that you can’t catch from other people like how you can catch a cold. They usually develop slowly and stay for a long time. These diseases usually happen because of how we take care of our bodies, such as what we eat, how active we are, and if we avoid things that are bad for us.

After attending a workshop about NCDs (non-communicable diseases), I felt inspired to share how these diseases also affect children. Many people think only adults get NCDs, but that’s not true, children can have them too and their stories need to be told.

One story that really touched me was about a boy named Liam (not his real name). Liam was only 12 years old when he found out he had type 1 diabetes. Diabetes is when your body has trouble using sugar from food for energy. This happens because the body doesn’t make enough insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the insulin doesn’t work well (type 2 diabetes). Even though it was scary at first, Liam learned how to manage his diabetes with healthy food choices and sometimes taking medicine.

With help from his family and doctors, Liam now teaches others about staying healthy. His bravery shows that even children can manage their health and encourage others to do the same.

I also met Aisha (not her real name), a girl who struggled with asthma. Asthma makes it hard to breathe, and sometimes she misses school because of it. But instead of giving up, Aisha joined a sports team and worked hard to improve her health. Her story shows how determination and support from others can help children overcome challenges.

These stories made me realize how important it is for children to learn about NCDs. By sharing stories like Liam’s and Aisha’s, I hope other children will take better care of their health and inspire their friends to do the same.