Diabetes rising in Pakistani adults: IDF report

Diabetes is common in Pakistani adults, it has drastically amplified as 33 million adults are living with diabetes in the country with an upsurge of 70%.

According to the new figures which were released ahead of World Diabetes Day by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), diabetes will be accountable for 400,000 deaths in the country in the year 2021 which is the highest in the Middle East and North Africa Region.

According to the report, Pakistan has the third-highest number of people living with diabetes in the world, after China (141 million) and India (74 million).

Additionally, 11 million adults in Pakistan suffer from Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT), which means they have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

When diabetes is not detected or ineffectively treated, people suffering from diabetes are at high risk of serious and life-threatening difficulties, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and lower-limb amputation.

“The rapidly rising level of diabetes in Pakistan presents a significant challenge to the health and wellbeing of individuals and families in the country,” says Professor Abdul Basit, Director, Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology, Baqai Medical University.

“We must do more to provide affordable and uninterrupted access to diabetes care for all in Pakistan, and around the world. Joint efforts are needed to improve the lives of people with diabetes and prevent the condition in those at high risk of developing it,” Basit added.

Internationally, 90% of people have type 2 diabetes. The rise in the number of people with type 2 is due to the interplay of socio-economic, demographic, environmental, and genetic factors.