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 The Diabetes Summit for South-East Asiawas
organized in Chennai on November 28 by the World Diabetes Foundation in
collaboration with WHO-SEARO, the International Diabetes Federation and the
World Bank. The main purpose of the
three-day meeting was to serve as a forum where key stakeholders, opinion
leaders, and media interact through scientific sessions and panel
discussions, and further drive the agenda on prevention and care in
developing countries.
Around
three million people across the world die of diabetes every year. If not
checked, an estimated 360 million people worldwide are expected to get
diabetes by 2030, with the largest increase occurring in the developing
countries.
In India the
estimates vary. According to a joint Indian Council of Medical Research and
WHO study, there were 38 million diabetics in the country in 2004.
The
disease affects people from all socio-economic backgrounds and is associated
with the highest co-morbidities and complications among all non-communicable
diseases. People with diabetes are at greater risk of developing arterial
hypertension, heart attacks, blindness and kidney failure.
In his
inaugural address, Dr Samlee Plianbangchang,
Regional Director, WHO-SEARO, provided an overview of the disease burden and
future projections. He emphasized that
primary prevention requires additional attention and elucidated WHO strategy
for an integrated, sustainable, and population-based approach, including a
well-defined package of interventions.
Dr Plianbangchang also stressed the importance of reviewing
lessons learned from past collective experience and the importance of future
collaborative action.
Professor
Martin Sillink, President of the International
Diabetes Federation, said “diabetes is affecting younger people in South-East Asia at alarming rates. If left unchecked,
diabetes and associated complications can result in alarming social and
economic consequences for the region”.
Management
of diabetes, like other non-communicable diseases, is life-long and
expensive. Diabetes can have substantial effects on a country’s budget due to
lost productivity and premature deaths.
Agenda
of the summit (Pdf)
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