The number of adults with diabetes worldwide has exceeded 800 million, more than four times more than in 1990, according to new data published in the scientific journal The Lancet on the occasion of World Diabetes Day. and relayed Thursday by the World Health Organization (WHO), which calls for urgent action.
The analysis, led by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) with support from WHO, highlights the scale of the diabetes epidemic and the urgent need for stronger global action to address both increasing disease rates and widening treatment gaps, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, the UN Organization said in a press release.
“We have seen an alarming rise in diabetes over the past three decades, reflecting the rise in obesity, compounded by the effects of unhealthy food marketing, lack of physical activity and economic hardship,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.
“To bring the global diabetes epidemic under control, countries must act urgently. This starts with adopting policies that promote healthy eating and physical activity and, above all, health systems that ensure prevention, early detection and treatment,” he added.
The study finds that the global prevalence of diabetes among adults increased from 7% to 14% between 1990 and 2022. Low- and middle-income countries saw the largest increases, where diabetes rates soared as that access to treatment remains persistently low.
This trend has led to stark inequalities globally: In 2022, nearly 450 million adults aged 30 and over – or around 59% of all adults with diabetes – remain untreated, leading to which represents a 3.5-fold increase in the number of untreated people since 1990. Ninety percent of these untreated adults live in low- and middle-income countries.
The study also reports substantial differences in diabetes rates globally, with the prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 18 and over being around 20% in the Southeast Asia and South Asia regions. the WHO Eastern Mediterranean. These two regions, along with the African region, have the lowest rates of diabetes treatment coverage, with fewer than 4 in 10 diabetic adults taking glucose-lowering medications for their diabetes.
To address the growing burden of diabetes, WHO announces the launch this Thursday of a new global diabetes surveillance framework. This product represents a “crucial” step in the global response, providing comprehensive guidance for countries to measure and evaluate diabetes prevention, care, outcomes and impacts.
According to the organization, by tracking key indicators such as blood sugar control, hypertension et access to essential medicines, countries can improve targeted interventions and policy initiatives, adding that this standardized approach allows countries to effectively prioritize resources, leading to significant improvements in diabetes prevention and care.
