With more than 64 million adults affected and figures constantly increasing, diabetes represents a major challenge. This chronic disease, aggravated by socioeconomic factors and inequalities in access to care. Between serious complications and still insufficient solutions, the urgency to act is felt to prevent, diagnose and better treat this pathology.
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in Europe. It is estimated that at least 64 million adults and around 300,000 children and adolescents are living with diabetes in the WHO European region.
In 2019, diabetes caused around 186,000 deaths in the region. This figure has increased in recent years and is expected to double between 2005 and 2030.
It is estimated that one in three people living with diabetes are undiagnosed and up to half are at risk of not reaching their treatment goals in the Region.
The region has the highest rate of type 1 diabetes in the world.
As populations age and risk factors such as obesity increase, 1 in 10 Europeans could suffer from diabetes by 2045.
Some types of diabetes can be prevented by targeting risk factors through interventions such as improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, reducing obesity, reducing smoking, and creating environments more favorable to health.
Many diabetes risk factors are linked to socioeconomic status and the impact of social, economic, and environmental determinants of health.
Inequalities in diabetes exist across the Region; for example, rates of diabetes among women can be five times higher in some European countries than in others.
If diabetes is not diagnosed and managed properly, acute life-threatening events such as coma can occur, as well as progressive disability due to complications of the disease.
High blood glucose levels cause progressive damage to blood vessels throughout the body, leading to various complications. Significant complications of diabetes include permanent vision loss and blindness due to damage to the blood vessels in the eye, ulcers and amputations due to nerve damage in the feet, and kidney disease.
The risk of heart attack and stroke is up to 4 times higher in people with diabetes.
People with diabetes can live well, but they are often held back by unsupportive health systems. Treatments for diabetes and its complications exist, but they are not always available, accessible and affordable in the region.
Source: OMS
