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New figures highlight worsening diabetes epidemic
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EASD 47th Annual Meeting
LISBON — The number of people with diabetes in 2011 has reached 366 million, according to Diabetes Atlas figures released today by the International Diabetes Federation.
Additionally, 4.6 million deaths are related to diabetes.
“Every 7 seconds, somebody, somewhere in the world, dies because of diabetes,” Jean Claude Mbanya, MD, PhD, president of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), said at a press conference.
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| Photo courtesy of EASD |
Estimates also suggest that about $465 billion (USD) is spent on diabetes-related health care.
“IDF’s latest Atlas data are proof indeed that diabetes is a massive challenge the world can no longer afford to ignore,” Mbanya said.
A call to action
Andrew Boulton, MD, vice president of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), acknowledged the “staggering” socioeconomic impact of diabetes and all non-communicable diseases.
“EASD fully supports the IDF and echoes the call of Professor Mbanya’s for increased funds for medical research,” Boulton stated in a press release.
Such research includes developing approaches for building local health care capacity and integrating diabetes care and services with primary health care, management of chronic infectious diseases and maternal and child health.
“Investing in research now will result in greater cost savings in the future,” Mbanya said at the meeting. “Confronted with [the latest Diabetes Atlas] statistics, we have been more than resolve at the IDF to challenge the government to find solutions in order to tackle this problem.”
Worldwide attention
The Diabetes Atlas figures were launched 1 week before the UN High-Level Meeting on Non-Communicable Diseases, scheduled for Sept. 19 and 20 in New York. The summit will address the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases worldwide, with a particular focus on developmental, social and economic challenges, particularly for developing countries. This will mark only the second UN summit in history to deal with a health-related issue; the first meeting in 2001 covered the epidemic of HIV/AIDS.
“The clock is ticking for the world’s leaders — we expect action from their meeting next week at the UN that will halt diabetes’ relentlessly upwards trajectory,” Mbanya said in a press release. – by Katie Kalvaitis
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