One in ten of the world's population will have diabetes by 2035 according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
The latest edition IDF Diabetes Atlas, published on World Diabetes Day, estimates that people living with diabetes will surge from 382 million to 592 million people by 2035, many in low and middle income countries and the majority under 60. This surge will form the backdrop of the World Diabetes Congress in Melbourne, Australia this December.
Previous estimates from the IDF Diabetes Atlas in 2012 put the number of people with diabetes at 371 million and number of deaths for 2012 at 4.8 million. The new figures show that the upward trend will continue. By the end of 2013, 5.1 million people will have died from diabetes related complications. With 175 million undiagnosed cases many people are progressing towards complications due to a lack of awareness.
China with 98 million, India with 65 million and the USA with 24 million have the highest numbers of people with diabetes. Regionally the Western Pacific, which includes countries such as Australia, China and Japan, has 138 million people with diabetes, the highest number of people with the disease in the world.
"Diabetes is a disease of development. The misconception that diabetes is 'a disease of the wealthy' is still held, to the detriment of desperately needed funding to combat the pandemic," said Sir Michael Hirst, president of IDF speaking at the International Diabetes Leadership Forum in Istanbul, Turkey. "On World Diabetes Day, we must continue to increase awareness of the importance of a healthy diet and physical activity. Crucially, environments must be created that lay the foundations for healthy living."
For more information on country and region specific data view the IDF Atlas website http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas
