Not so sweet

The Pakistan National Heart Association has pointed out that Pakistan had a relatively simple way to improve the health of its people, and thereby cut costs on healthcare, while also earning more revenue which could be siphoned off to help lower income groups. In a recent meeting, the Heart Association has pointed out that Pakistan already has about 10 million people who are pre-diabetic and every third adult citizen is living with type-2 diabetes. The dire warning? The population of people in Pakistan with diabetes could increase to 62 million by 2045.

In a report last year, it was found that diabetes in Pakistan had increased, with 33 million adults living with diabetes in the country in 2021 while more than a quarter of adults living with diabetes in Pakistan remained undiagnosed. As one of the means to prevent this and also generate more revenue for the economy as well as cutting down on rising healthcare costs, it has been suggested that tax of around 50 per cent be placed on all sugary drinks including sodas, energy drinks, sweetened juices, fruit juices, powdered milk which contains sugar and all other such beverages sold in large numbers around the country. The beverage industry is lobbying hard to prevent such a move.

It is also vital that people be educated about diabetes and that people learn how to help avoid falling into the category of people who are either prediabetic or diabetic. The changes should begin at school level and continue through from there. The taxation on sugary drinks could be a useful factor in stopping the consumption of items containing high levels of sugar, though of course people must be aware of all the items that they consume on a daily basis to make a significant difference. The disease is one that has become increasingly common in a country where it was once virtually unknown. Apart from taxation, what is also necessary is to understand that consumption of low-value sugary foods and the rise in diabetes is linked also to poverty, rural-urban migration, sedentary lifestyles and declining markets in Western countries which have led food companies to target developing countries in Asia and Africa. This is not just about a disease that is known as a silent killer, but about the overall health concerns of millions of people. A change in our national consciousness is required so governments realize that security doesn’t just come in a neat little box but also includes security from healthcare threats.