WHO wants vigorous measures to check diabetes ‘epidemic’ in South-East Asia region

The World Health Organisation has called upon the countries to take “vigorous measures" and “concerted action" to prevent, treat and control diabetes.

That is the theme of this year’s World Health Day to be observed on Thursday.

Ahead of the day, the WHO South-East Asia Regional office warned the member countries, including Bangladesh, that diabetes has reached “epidemic” proportions and is expected to further increase in coming years.

“Diabetes rarely makes headlines, and yet it will be the world’s seventh largest killer by 2030 unless intense and focused efforts are made by governments, communities and individuals,” Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said in a statement.

World Health Day is celebrated on Apr 7 every year to mark the anniversary of the founding of WHO in 1948. Each year a theme is selected that highlights a priority area of public health.

State Minister for Health Zahid Maleque at a press briefing on Wednesday said Bangladesh had also taken elaborate programmes that include awareness campaign, seminar, and discussions to observe the day.

The WHO said diabetes is of particular concern in the region as more than one out of every four of the 3.7 million diabetes-related deaths globally occur in the Region.

The prevalence exacerbates difficulties in the control of major infectious diseases such as tuberculosis.

“Almost half of the 96 million people suffering the disease don’t know they have it. If diabetes prevalence continues to rise, the personal, social and economic consequences will deepen,” the regional director said.

Sedentary lifestyles coupled with sugary, salty and fatty diets rich in refined carbohydrates are driving the epidemic.

Nearly 90 percent of all diabetes cases are of Type 2 diabetes, largely the result of excess bodyweight and physical inactivity.

 It can both be prevented and treated if detected early. If not properly managed the disease causes serious damage to every major organ in the body, resulting in heart attacks, strokes, blindness and nerve damage.

“There are individual steps that we can, and must take. Eating healthily and avoiding sugary drinks is a good place to start.

“We must also control the size of our portion, and ensure they match our energy needs rather than the size of our plate,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.

Regular exercise - 30 minutes, and at least five times a week - is necessary for adults to help control weight, she said.

She asked the governments to “regulate the marketing of food to children, and insist on accurate food labelling to help consumers make decisions that can help them avoid diabetes”.

Taxing sugary beverages and re-investing the revenue in health promotion activities is an evidence-based intervention that makes real change, she said. 

Khetrapal Singh said that governments must also increase access to health care and promote educational campaigns regarding self-management and control, as well as making treatment less costly. Diabetes can be managed successfully.

“It does not have to lead to complications or be fatal,” she said.

Early detection and strict adherence to management strategies is essential to control diabetes-related complications.

Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste are the other members of the WHO Southeast Asia region.