Daily Times

On World Diabetes Day, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has released new figures that highlight alarming growth in the prevalence of diabetes around the world. New findings published in the 9th edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas show that Pakistan is now in the top 10 countries for absolute increase in diabetes prevalence.

The IDF Diabetes Atlas 9th Edition reports that the prevalence of diabetes in Pakistan has reached 17.1%, now 148% higher than previously reported. In 2019, over 19 million adults in Pakistan are estimated to be living with diabetes putting them at risk of life-threatening complications. 8.5 million of these 19 million, are undiagnosed and, as a result, may be particularly at risk.

According to International Diabetes Federation 38 million more adults are now estimated to be living with diabetes globally compared to the results published in 2017. Globally, an estimated 463 million adults are living with diabetes and 55 million are in the Middle East and North Africa Region alone. Type 2 diabetes accounts for up to 90% of the total.

The rise in the number of people with type 2 diabetes is driven by a complex interplay of socio-economic, demographic, environmental and genetic factors. Key contributors include urbanisation, an ageing population, decreasing levels of physical activity and increasing levels of overweight and obesity. For reasons which are unknown, type 1 diabetes is also on the rise.

“Diabetes is a serious threat to global health that respects neither socioeconomic status nor national boundaries,” said Prof Abdul Basit, Director, Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE), Karachi, and member of the IDF Diabetes Atlas Committee. “The increasing prevalence of diabetes in Pakistan is a wake-up call. We must do more to prevent type 2 diabetes, diagnose all forms of diabetes early and prevent complications. We must also ensure that every person with diabetes has affordable and uninterrupted access to the care they need.”