Diabetes may become the world’s seventh largest killer : WHO
Ahead of World Health Day, the World Health Organisation has urged countries to take concerted steps towards controlling diabetes, a disease which has reached “epidemic proportions.”
“By 2030, diabetes will be the world’s seventh largest killer unless intense and focused efforts are made by governments, communities and individuals,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO, South-East Asia.
This year’s World Health Day, marked every April 7, will focus on diabetes, which is increasingly hitting the low and middle income countries.
Diabetes is of particular concern in the South-East Asia Region as more than one out of every four of the 3.7 million diabetes-related deaths globally occur in the region. “While its prevalence exacerbates difficulties in the control of major infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, what is more worrying is that almost half of the 96 million people suffering from the disease don’t know they have it,” said Dr Singh.
A sedentary lifestyle coupled with sugar, salt and fat-rich diets are driving the epidemic, which primarily affects those in their prime.
Nearly 90% of all diabetes cases are of Type 2 diabetes, largely the result of excess bodyweight and physical
inactivity. “It is both preventable and treatable if detected early,” said Dr Singh.“There are individual steps that we must take. Eating healthily and avoiding sugary drinks is a good place to start,” Dr Singh said. She also advocated regular exercises.
“Governments must also regulate the marketing of food to children, and insist on accurate food labelling to help consumers make decisions that can help them avoid diabetes,” she said.
