LAHORE:The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has said that diabetes prevalence in Pakistan has reached a staggering proportion of 17.1 per cent, which is whopping 148pc higher than previously reported, putting Pakistan among the top 10 countries in the world for absolute increase in diabetes prevalence.
New findings published on Wednesday in the 9th Edition of the IDF Diabetes Atlas ahead of World Diabetes Day revealed that in 2019 over 19 million adults in Pakistan were estimated to be living with diabetes putting them at risk of life-threatening complications. Out of these, 19 million affected population, at least 8.5 million, are undiagnosed and, as a result, they may be particularly at risk.
The new figures released by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) highlight alarming growth in the prevalence of diabetes around the world. 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.
The rise in the number of people with type II 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 I 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, 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 II diabetes and diagnose all forms of diabetes early to prevent complications, he said.
