91 million people in South-East Asia live with diabetes: WHO

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91 million people in South-East Asia live with diabetes: WHO

November 14: An estimated 91 million  people in the WHO South-East Asia Region live with diabetes, with around 49 million unaware of their condition, according to the regional body of the UN.

The WHO warned that undiagnosed or poorly controlled diabetes type 1 and type 2 can cause heart, kidney, nerve and eye damage, as well as premature death.

According to the WHO, families that know the signs, symptoms, risks and complications of diabetes are best positioned to prevent the disease and seek medical care to manage it.

The importance families have in creating awareness of the risks of diabetes – including overweight and obesity – and in preventing and managing it, reads a statement issued by WHO.

As part of the Region’s Flagship Priority of tackling noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) – to which diabetes is a major contributor – Member States Region-wide can empower families to address the disease and enhance health outcomes, according to the WHO.

“That should occur at the same time as increasing access to services for diabetes and other NCDs at the primary health care level, as outlined in the Colombo Declaration adopted Region-wide in 2016,” the statement said.

WHO’s South-East Asia Region comprises the following 11 member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

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