Global Diabetes Crisis: A Widening Treatment Gap

A new study reveals over 800 million adults globally have diabetes, double previous estimates. The condition is largely untreated in low- and middle-income countries, exacerbating health risks. WHO urges urgent action to tackle the epidemic by promoting healthy lifestyles and improving healthcare systems worldwide.

Over 800 million adults across the globe are battling diabetes, a figure double the previous estimations, according to newly released research published in The Lancet. Startlingly, more than half of the individuals aged over 30 with the condition are not receiving the necessary treatment. The study underscores a pressing global health crisis.

The analysis, the first to survey rates and treatment estimates worldwide, shows diabetes prevalence has increased dramatically from 7% in 1990 to 14% now, driven mainly by surges in low- and middle-income countries. While higher-income regions have seen some advances in treatment, a noticeable gap persists, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the study’s findings as alarming, prompting a call for immediate policy actions. These include promoting healthy diets and physical activity, alongside robust health systems to prevent, detect, and treat diabetes, a chronic disease leading to severe health complications if left unmanaged.