Health organizations

A staggering number of Canadians, 8.4 million, are currently living with diabetes or are at increased risk  of developing the condition during their lifetime. With 2.4 million affected by diabetes and 6 million in a state of ‘pre-diabetes’ – many of whom are unaware that they have impaired glucose tolerance – diabetes is an invisible, potentially deadly pandemic that affects a quarter of the Canadian population.

The number of people with diabetes is on the rise worldwide, posing previously unknown challenges for healthcare systems. In Germany, the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes is estimated to be nearly 7% – almost 6 million people. Additionally, it is estimated that  around another 3 million people living with diabetes are undiagnosed – around half the population with diabetes aged between 55 and 74 years according to one German study.

People with diabetes require a range of interventions to manage their condition – medical treatment in isolation is not enough. In order to achieve optimum blood glucose control, the psychological, social and emotional aspects of living with diabetes also require at-tention. Diabetes and its related human, social and economic effects are important issues for the Ministry of Health in Italy. The Ministry’s commission on diabetes is engaged in developing plans to improve primary and secondary prevention and care of the condition.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that in 2005, HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria combined were responsible for around 4 million deaths. In the same year, chronic non-communicable diseases killed nearly 30 million people. Shocking as they are, these figures do not tell the full story of the disability, suffering and personal hardship that results from diabetes complications; or, on a larger economic scale, the enormous healthcare costs and lost productivity attributable to diabetes.

Heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer are now among the leading causes of death and disability around the world. The causes of these diseases include modifiable lifestyle-related risk factors, such as smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, as well as non-modifiable risk factors, including age and genetics. Due to population growth and the relative success of efforts to reduce communicable diseases, the number of people with non-communicable diseases will continue to rise in the future.

Chronic diseases are increasing in global prevalence and seriously threaten developing nations’ ability to improve the health of their populations. Indeed, chronic disease has become the dominant health burden in many developing countries. It is estimated that in 2005, chronic diseases were responsible for 50% of deaths and illness in 23 selected developing countries. Surveys from countries in all corners of the world reveal significant health and economic consequences from chronic diseases, with the greatest impact likely to occur in the poor countries that are least able to respond.

In most countries in the Americas, chronic diseases are now the leading cause of premature death and disability. Responsible for two of every three deaths among the general population, chronic diseases caused almost half of the mortality in people under 70 years old in 2002. The significant socio-economic inequities in Latin America compound the burden of chronic disease (including early death) among poorer people, locking many into a cycle of deprivation and ill-health.

About a decade and a half ago, public health priorities in low- and middle-income countries were centred on infectious diseases and maternal and child health issues. Subsequently, however, data published in leading medical journals and reports by multilateral agencies has shown that more than 50% of the burden of disease in developing countries is attributable to chronic diseases – including heart disease, diabetes, cancers and some chronic lung conditions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, concerned about the escalating incidence of diabetes in the African Region, presented a regional strategy for diabetes to be adopted by health ministers during the 57th session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa, held in August 2007 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. The strategy examined the situation of type 2 diabetes in the African Region and proposed methods to prevent and control the disease.