Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/608340
49 Events maltatoday, SUNDAY, 29 NOVEMBER 2015 GSD Marketing supports campaign against diabetes As part of its corporate social re- sponsibility, for the second year running GSD Marketing Ltd sup- ported, through Kristal water, the Maltese Diabetes Association in its campaign towards a healthier diet and lifestyle during World Diabetes Week. The Association organised two free blood glucose monitoring events recently, one at The Point in Sliema and another one at Main Street Shopping Complex in Paola to raise awareness of the need for regular monitoring especially among those who have a family history of diabetes. The theme of this year was 'Healthy Eating and Diabetes'. In keeping with this theme, the As- sociation offered free breakfast packs including a small bottle of Kristal water sponsored by GSD Marketing Ltd. According to statistics released by the International Diabetes Fed- eration, the incidence of diagnosed diabetes in Malta in the 50+ age group beats the world average. In the 45-49 age group, the rate of diagnosis is higher than the EU average. Overall, the incidence in Malta tends to be higher than in the rest of the Mediterranean region. In 2014, 269 people in Malta died of diabetes complications. Globally 382 million live with di- abetes, a number set to rise to 471 million by 2035. The real number of people living with diabetes in Malta is higher than the number of diagnosed cases. Around 1.2% of Malta's population has type 2 dia- betes which is still undiagnosed. Proper hydration is essential to good health, especially among vulnerable groups such as infants, children and the elderly. Drinking water frequently prevents the ef- fects of dehydration. Fresh water helps the body to flush out toxins, regulate energy levels and keep vi- tal processes working properly. Among those with diabetes, avoiding dehydration is critical. Drinking water frequently helps to remove excess blood glucose. If you do not drink enough water, your body compensates by draw- ing fluid out of body tissues to try to flush out excess glucose, caus- ing damage in the process. "We are grateful towards the Malta Diabetes Association to in- volve us in their campaigns to re- duce diabetes risks in Malta" said GSD Sales & Marketing Manager Martin Agius. "Our Kristal water is very easily incorporated in the diet of people of all ages to help them keep hydrated and healthy." FTIAS blood donation at SmartCity Malta FTIAS has organised a blood donation drive for its employees together with the employees of other business partners based at SmartCity Malta as part of its ongoing corporate social re- sponsibility (CSR) initiatives. The blood donation drive was held in collaboration with the National Blood Transfu- sion Service that seeks to raise awareness of the importance of voluntary blood donation and encourages new and existing blood donors to donate blood regularly throughout the year. Whilst congratulating FTIAS for their initiative, SmartC- ity CEO, Anthony Tabone said that, "the keen response to the blood donation drive is testimo- ny to the values embraced by the employees at FTIAS as well as other partners based at SmartC- ity Malta. We hope this gesture serves to create greater aware- ness on the value and urgency of blood donation, and that more organisations follow suit in such initiatives". Employees donating blood GSD Marketing Ltd gave a helping hand to the Maltese Diabetes Association