Jumbangla Desk: World Diabetes Day is today (November 14). The day is observed on November 14 every year to increase the awareness of the world about diabetes. The World Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization declared November 14 as Diabetes Day in 1991. The theme of the day is 'Diabetes: Our Commitment to Good Health'. Despite continuous efforts to create awareness about diabetes, the number of people affected by this disease is increasing.
According to the report of The Guardian, an international study says that the number of diabetes patients in the world has doubled in the last 30 years to more than 80 million. The study, published in The Lancet, found that between 1990 and 2022, the prevalence of diabetes among adults worldwide increased from about 7% to 14%, with the greatest increase in low- and middle-income countries.
The study, a joint initiative of the World Health Organization and NCD-RISC, highlights the global picture of diabetes and disparities in treatment. The study collected data on more than 140 million people, allowing for variation in the prevalence and treatment of diabetes in different regions of the world.
Research shows that global health disparities in diabetes are increasing. In 2022, more than half of diabetes patients were concentrated in just four countries. Of these, about 212 million people in India, 148 million in China, 42 million in the United States, and 36 million in Pakistan have diabetes. Indonesia and Brazil also have 25 million and 22 million diabetes patients respectively.
60% of diabetes patients in the top six countries of the world
The study also revealed that in some countries of the Pacific Islands, the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, more than 25 percent of people have diabetes. Among developed countries, the rate of diabetes in the United States is 12.5% and in the United Kingdom is 8.8%, the highest among Western developed countries. On the other hand, in developed countries such as France, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland and Sweden, the prevalence of diabetes in women in 2022 was 2-4%, and in men in Denmark, France, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Spain and Rwanda it was 3-5%.
The risk of developing diabetes is increasing due to obesity and aging worldwide. It is clear from this research that more awareness is needed to prevent diabetes, so that future generations are protected from this global health crisis.
Responding to the results of the study, the Director General of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "We have seen an alarming increase in diabetes in the last three decades." And the disease highlights the impact of obesity, the promotion of unhealthy foods , lack of physical activity and economic hardship.
Countries need to take urgent action to control diabetes worldwide. It can start with healthy eating habits and physical activity. Most importantly, however, is building a health system capable of providing prevention, early detection and treatment.
Chantal Mathieu, president of the European Diabetes Research Association, said diabetes has now become an epidemic, posing a profound threat to public health and the economy. He also said, now the policy-makers of the world should look at the issue of taking preventive measures. Besides, the opportunity of diabetes testing should be increased for all. Countries need to adopt a long-term management strategy to control diabetes.
