Rawalpindi Nov 14 (TNS): A tremendous increase in rates of diabetes prevalence and incidence has been witnessed in Pakistan in last few years and according to estimates, the health problem claims not less than 100,000 lives annually of which majority are women.
This has been disclosed as World Diabetes Day is being observed on Tuesday. This year’s theme is “Women and Diabetes”.
Pakistan ranks 7th among the top 10 countries, with the highest number of people living with diabetes. The diabetes prevalence rate in Pakistan is 12 percent, which is expected to rise up to 30 per cent by 2025 and then Pakistan will rank 5th in the world.
In a message on the Day, Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif has said that the government has taken various steps to control the disease.
Currently over 199 million women are living with diabetes and this total is expected to rise up to 313 million by 2040.
Diabetes is the ninth cause of death in women globally, causing 2.1 million deaths each year. One in seven births is affected by gestational diabetes (GDM). Many women with GDM experience pregnancy related complications including high blood pressure, low birth weight babies and obstructed labour….
The WDD campaign will promote the importance of affordable and equitable access for all women with diabetes or at risk to the essential diabetes medicines and technologies, self-management education and information they require to achieve optimal diabetes outcomes and strengthen their capacity to prevent diabetes.
