Every sixth person is diabetic in Pakistan: Report

LAHORE: One in every six people is a diabetic in Pakistan, as 9.04 per cent of new diabetes mellitus (without them knowing about their disease) have been added to updated INDINGS OF DIABETES PREVALENCE IN the country.

Professor AH Amir, consultant endocrinologist at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, revealed this while unveiling the latest survey during his presentation on “Prevalence of Diabetes Past, Present and Future; How are we doing?” on the conclusion of a conference titled “Together for Endocrinology.”

The conference was organised by Pakistan Endocrinology Society South Asian Federation of Endocrinology Societies (PES-SAFES).

The survey revealed a staggering 16.98 per cent prevalence of diabetes in Pakistan, as 35.5 million people among the adult population were found diabetic in the country.

Dr Amir stated that based on census results of 2017 for adult population, 21.9 million are suffering from diabetes mellitus (DM), which suggests a ratio of 1:7 among population aged 20 or above. Out of the total prevalence, at least 17.85 per cent of female population is affected and 16.22 per cent males.

BREAKING DOWN THE NATIONAL IGURE of 16.98 per cent diabetics, including 9.04 per cent new diabetes mellitus, Dr Amir said Azad Jammu and Kashmir registered 17.57 per cent diabetics with 13.36 per cent new DM, interior Sindh 14.01 per cent with 8.46 per cent new, Islamabad 21.67 per cent with 10.94 per cent new, Karachi 16.16 per cent with 10.56 per cent new, Fata 23.53 per cent with 14.10 per cent new, Peshawar 17.56 per cent with 6.59 per cent new, Lahore 15.30 per cent with 6.17 per cent new, Quetta 18.24 per cent with 12.94 per cent new, south Punjab 12.90 per cent with 7.41 per cent new, northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 19.19 per cent with 9.90 per cent new.

About data on obesity, Dr Amir informed the audience that based on Body Mass Index (BMI) and World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria, at least 31 per cent of the population in Pakistan had normal weight with a BMI of 25, 35 per cent was overweight, 20 per cent obese class-1, 7 per cent obese class-2 and 4 per cent obese class 3.

Dr Amir suggested to the government and individuals to allocate enough funding to look after complications in diabetes and plan for early diagnosis/ pre-diabetes.