More than 350 million adults have type 2 diabetes — report

DOHA — More than 350 million adults around the world live with type 2 diabetes, a figure that is expected to increase by 10 per cent in 2035 if the same trends continue, according to a report launched Tuesday.

The report, titled “Rising to the Challenge: Preventing and Managing Type 2 Diabetes”, said that at a global level, type 2 diabetes is one of the major challenges facing policymakers today.

As the challenge is recognised by the UN General Assembly, the WHO and the World Economic Forum, the report called for collective commitment to prevent diabetes and improve the quality of life of the people who suffer from it.

According to the report, launched at the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2015 in Doha, the challenge is universal because it affects everyone.

However, the risk will be higher in developing countries, according to the study, which added that they currently have lower healthcare expenditures but will record the fastest growth rates in diabetes prevalence.

Speaking at a session on diabetes, Stephen Colagiuri — professor of Metabolic Health at the Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise at University of Sydney — said every 10 minutes, 300 people are diagnosed with diabetes around the world, and the treatment cost is $15 million.

Colagiuri, and other health experts taking part in the session, urged decision makers to make diabetes a national health priority.

The report called on policy makers to improve disease management for people with diabetes, establish effective surveillance to identify and support those at risk of type 2 diabetes and to introduce a range of interventions that help create an environment focused on prevention.

At the opening of the two-day summit, Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Founder of WISH said: “The WISH conference helps change our global health reality towards achieving a greater ambition of providing quality health coverage for all.”

“We cannot overcome our healthcare challenges unless we begin to invest in solutions that link health and education, as they are intrinsically connected.  Innovation in education leads us to innovation in health. It is our wish to promote the causes of both access to basic primary education and universal health coverage,” she added.

The Doha summit is taking place with the participation of 1,000 world leaders, policy makers and healthcare experts to discuss new and ground-breaking solutions to the most urgent global health challenges.