ALARMING FACTS OF DIABETES...

The prevalence of diabetes has
reached epidemic proportions.
WHO predicts that developing
countries will bear the brunt of
this epidemic in the 21st
century. Currently, more than
70% of people with diabetes
live in low- and middle income
countries.
An estimated 285 million people,
corresponding to 6.4% of the
world's adult population, will live
with diabetes in 2010. The number is
expected to grow to 438 million by
2030, corresponding to 7.8% of the
adult population.
While the global prevalence of
diabetes is 6.4%, the prevalence
varies from 10.2% in the Western
Pacific to 3.8% in the African
region. However, the African region
is expected to experience the highest
increase.
70% of the current cases of
diabetes occur in low- and middle
income countries. With an estimated
50.8 million people living with
diabetes, India has the world's
largest diabetes population,
followed by China with 43.2 million.
The largest age group currently
affected by diabetes is between
40-59 years. By 2030 this “record”
is expected to move to the 60-79
age group with some 196 million
cases.
Diabetes is one of the major causes
of premature illness and death
worldwide. Non-communicable
diseases including diabetes account
for 60% of all deaths worldwide.
Lack of sufficient diagnosis
and treatment
In developing countries, less than
half of people with diabetes are
diagnosed. Without timely diagnoses
and adequate treatment,
complications and morbidity from
diabetes rise exponentially.
Type 2 diabetes can remain
undetected for many years and the
diagnosis is often made from
associated complications or
incidentally through an abnormal
blood or urine glucose test.
Undiagnosed diabetes accounted for
85% of those with diabetes in
studies from South Africa, 80% in
Cameroon, 70% in Ghana and over
80% in Tanzania.
The number of deaths attributable
to diabetes in 2010 shows a 5.5%
increase over the estimates for the
year 2007. This increase is largely
due to a 29% increase in the number
of deaths due to diabetes in the
North America & Caribbean Region,
a 12% increase in the South East
Asia Region and an 11% increase in
the Western Pacific Region.
Type 2 diabetes is responsible for
85-95% of all diabetes in high-
income countries and may account
for an even higher percentage in
low- and middle-income countries.
80% of type 2 diabetes is
preventable by changing diet,
increasing physical activity and
improving the living environment.
Yet, without effective prevention
and control programmes, the
incidence of diabetes is likely to
continue rising globally.
Insulin is vital for the survival of
people with type 1 diabetes and
often ultimately required by people
with type 2 diabetes. Even though
insulin's indispensible nature is
recognised by its inclusion in the
WHO's Essential Medicines List,
insulin is still not available on an
uninterrupted basis in many parts of
the developing world.
Diabetes costs – a burden for
families and society
The financial burden borne by
people with diabetes and their
families as a result of their disease
depends on their economic status
and the social insurance policies of
their countries. In the poorest
countries, people with diabetes and
their families bear almost the whole
cost of the medical care they can
afford.
In Latin America, families pay
40-60% of medical care
expenditures from their own
pockets. In Mozambique, diabetes
care for one person requires 75% of
the per capita income; in Mali it
amounts to 61%; Vietnam is 51%
and Zambia 21%.
Expressed in International Dollars
(ID), which correct for differences
in purchasing power, estimated
global expenditures on diabetes will
be at least ID 418 billion in 2010, and
at least ID 561 billion in 2030. An
estimated average of ID 878 per
person will be spent on diabetes in
2010 globally.
Besides excess healthcare
expenditure, diabetes also imposes
large economic burdens in the form
of lost productivity and foregone
economic growth. The largest
economic burden is the monetary
value associated with disability and
loss of life as a result of the
disease itself and its related
complications.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) predicted net losses in
national income from diabetes and
cardiovascular disease of ID 557.7
billion in China, ID 303.2 billion in
the Russian Federation, ID 336.6
billion in India, ID 49.2 billion in
Brazil and ID 2.5 billion in Tanzania
(2005 ID), between 2005 and 2015.
Unless addressed, the mortality and
disease burden from diabetes and
other NCDs will continue to increase.
WHO projects that globally, deaths
caused by these health problems will
increase by 17% over the next
decade, with the greatest increase in
low- and middle-income countries,
mainly in the African (27%) and
Eastern Mediterranean (25%)
regions.