The disease increased around the world but affects lower- and middle-income people more often than wealthier populations.
Advertisement
It is estimated that about 350 million people worldwide have diabetes, a number likely to more than double in the next 20 years. According to the health agency, the number of people who are living with diabetes has disturbingly “quadrupled” since 1980.
The results of a study by Imperial College London (ICL) in The Lancet show that diabetes rates among women in the United Kingdom have risen from 4% in 1980 to 4.9%% in 2014, while rates among men went up from 4.8% to 6.6%.
Firstly, a large proportion of diabetes cases are preventable.
When it comes to diabetes risk factors, about 70 percent of Americans are overweight, 35 percent are obese and 35 percent are physically inactive, according to the World Health Organization report.
However, Jiang Xia, president of the Tianjin Diabetes Prevention and Control Association, says many of those adults don’t even know they have the disease. Increasing access to diagnosis and affordable treatment, including patient education for self-care, are vital components of the response.
Diabetes has become a growing global health concern.
Diabetes causes a lot of health complications as well as causing substantial economic loss to not only those who suffer diabetes, but also their families, as well as health systems and national economies through direct medical costs and loss of work and wages.
Last year, governments adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, which include the target of reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, which include diabetes, by one-third. They are of long duration and generally slow progression.
Most of those people live in developing countries, including China.
Diabetes is a chronic, metabolic disease characterised by elevated levels of blood glucose which may over time lead to serious damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.
Advertisement
I would like to reiterate the commitment of WHO and also urge the Government and development partners working in the health to continue improving diagnostic services for diabetes, and to ensure regular availability of insulin and other oral hypoglycaemic agents for treatment.
