Health experts say diabetes has reached epidemic proportions

Hanoi, Vietnam — Global experts meeting here agreed yesterday that diabetes has attained epidemic proportions as 194 million people worldwide now have the debilitating disease.

At the "World Diabetes Summit" at Sofitel Plaza Hotel here, Prof. Pierre Lefebvre, chairman of the World Diabetes Foundation (WDF) and president of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), disclosed that the figure is expected to double by 2025, with a majority of cases coming from developing countries.

The figure, however, may be underestimated because only half of those afflicted with the disease are actually aware of their condition.

"We are facing a real epidemic. Diabetes is increasing and it can be seen in all parts of the world," he explained.

Diabetes is an ailment that occurs when the body lacks insulin, either because the pancreas does not produce any insulin or produces insufficient amounts. There is another case in which body cells resist insulin produced in the body. These two conditions are known as Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

The summit was meant to "create a network of committed global influences who can drive the agenda on diabetes prevention and care in the developing world."

It was organized by WDF, the Ministry of Health of Vietnam and the Western Pacific Declaration on Diabetes, which includes the World Health Organization, Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the IDF.

It also showcased the two community-based projects being funded by WDF in the provinces of Than Hoa and Tai Binh here. 

The foundation is providing technical and logistic support to help the Vietnamese government raise awareness about diabetes.

The summit was precluded by a Press Summit intended to educate journalists from around the world about diabetes.

The countries with the biggest diabetic populations are India, China, United States, Indonesia, Russia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Brazil and Italy.

"What is interesting is that China has a bigger population but India has a higher number of diabetes cases," he claimed. The two countries have 23.8 million and 35.8 million diabetes cases, respectively.

In Africa, he said, diabetes used to be viewed as a rare condition. However, over the past 30 to 40 years, the situation has changed. With 7.1 million Africans suffering from diabetes, the condition is now regarded as a major health problem and challenge throughout the continent.

Socio-economic changes in developing countries were blamed for the rising cases of diabetes there.

"Aging populations, families that are urbanized as they seek employment, rapid industrialization and rising levels of obesity associated with changes in diet and decreased physical activity are all contributing factors. Diabetes will continue to concentrate in urban areas in the future," Lefebvre added.

He said the rise of diabetes in the developing world is alarming especially because 80 percent of people there have no health insurance so they are forced to pay for the treatment directly.

"Since diabetes is a life-long condition, the cost of medicine can drive people living with diabetes into a downward spiral of debt and poverty," he added.

Annually, the direct healthcare costs of diabetes worldwide are estimated to reach between $153 billion and $286 billion. If the projection for diabetes prevalence by 2025 is realized, the health care expenditures for diabetes will hit $213 billion to $396 billion.

According to Dr. Gauden Galea, WHO regional adviser for Non-communicable Diseases in Western Pacific, the "end points" of diabetes are ischemic heart disease, stroke, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and chronic lung cancer.

Its intermediate risk factors, on the other hand, include hypertension, blood lipid or high cholesterol and obesity.

Galea expressed concern that the number of people who are not yet diabetic but are predisposed to the condition because of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) is growing.

Those with IGT are at risk to developing Type 2 diabetes, he said.

Diabetes cannot be reversed once it is present, but proper and continued medication can stop IGT from becoming diabetes and prevent diabetes complications like foot amputations and blindness.

To keep diabetes at bay, Galea advised people to do away with inactive lifestyles, unhealthy diets, alcohols and cigarettes.

"We are certain that the epidemic is here and we should act now," Galea stressed.