Epicenter of diabetes epidemic is 'in this region'
If diabetes epidemic progress at its present rate, policymakers in the Gulf will not be able to meet the health needs of community, top official says
Dubai: Healthcare leaders on Sunday warned that the epicenter of the diabetes epidemic is in this region and unless people changed their way of life, the epidemic will be 'here to stay'.
They warned that unless changes are brought about urgently, the economic and social costs will be very high and will cripple the youth in this region.
Speaking at the opening of the Mena Diabetes Leadership Forum, Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, president of the International Diabetes Federation, said 26 million people suffer from diabetes in this region and said there is still no proper outreach to the people to curtail this disease.
"We know that it is preventable, we know what to do," he said, but added that the time to take action is now. He called for incorporating health consciousness in the development process.
A senior GCC health official also warned that if the diabetes epidemic progress at its present rate, policymakers in the Gulf States will not be able to meet the health needs of the community.
Dr Tawfiq Khoja, director general of the GCC Health Ministers’ Council, said people are living longer in the Gulf States but that they are not able to enjoy their lives. “We have added years to the lives of the people, but we have not added a quality of life,” he said. “There is no point living longer if every year you spend in the hospital,” he said.
Dr Khoja said every fourth person in the GCC suffers from hypertension or diabetes. The director called for a change in approach to tackling the disease and said the primary healthcare centres in the Gulf States are not equipped to meet the challenges.
He called for more preventive measures and early intervention at all levels of society. “We need to bring about a change in our national health polices,” he said.
The director said this Forum is highly important as diabetes is a major health problem in the Gulf States affecting about 28 per cent of the population.
A senior UAE health official said 31 per cent of deaths in the country are due to diabetes and non-communicable diseases as coronary heart disease and cancers.
