There are now more people living with diabetes in Asia than elsewhere and India is among the list of top five countries with the most diabetes sufferers in 2009, organisers of World Diabetes Day have said quoting World Health Organisation (WHO) figures.
According to them, more than 347 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide. Since diabetes can be silent and symptoms can easily go unnoticed, early detection and good management can prevent complications.
International Diabetes Foundation indicates that the top five countries with the most diabetes sufferers in 2009 were: India 50.8 million, China 43.1 million, USA 26.8 million, Russia 9.6 million and Brazil 7.6 million.
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It is predicted that the number of adults affected by diabetes will almost double from 32.6 million to 51.7 million in 2030 in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
World Diabetes Day raises global awareness of diabetes, its escalating rates around the world and how to prevent the illness and how it is managed.
Started by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the WHO, it is celebrated on November 14 to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting who, along with Charles Best, was instrumental in the discovery of insulin in 1922, a life-saving treatment for diabetes patients.
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Long-term effects of diabetes can include blindness, gangrene, renal failure and heart disease. Globally diabetes is consuming an ever greater portion of medical costs, accounting for approximately 10 per cent of all health care spending according to the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice in 2010.