ISLAMABAD: The Diabetic Association of Pakistan and World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre Karachi held a session in connection with the World Diabetes Day at a local hotel on Sunday.
The scientific session held in the morning was specifically targeted at doctors. The session included an address by Professor Samad Shera, who is Diabetic Association of Pakistan secretary general, International Diabetes Federation honorary president, President Diabetes in Asia Study Group founder, and WHO Collaborating Centre for Diabetes director.
He introduced the theme of the World Diabetes Day, titled “Women and Diabetes”. He said diabetes was a chronic, debilitating and costly disease. World Diabetes Day provided the opportunity to improve care for the millions of people living with diabetes, and to encourage governments to do more to save the health of at-risk people, he added.
Dr Samad further said that currently there were 415 million people living with diabetes worldwide, adding that by 2040, the number would rise to 642 million. He said that there were currently over 199 million women living with diabetes, while adding that this total was projected to increase to 313 million by 2040.
He also said that diabetes was the 9th leading cause of death among women globally, by causing 2.1 million deaths per year. He said that Pakistan had also seen a sharp rise in the number of diabetic patients. These facts and figures reiterated the importance of urgent action against the disease, he added.
Moreover, Dr Samad said that type 1 diabetes could not be prevented, adding that a healthy lifestyle was an important part of effective management of the disease. He said that 70 per cent of type 2 diabetes could be prevented by healthy eating and regular physical activity, including 30 minutes brisk walk daily before meal.