Dhaka: World Diabetes Day will be observed tomorrow in the country, focusing on building public awareness about the chronic metabolic disease. The theme for this year’s observance is ‘Diabetes: Our Commitment to Good Health’. The day, declared by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in 1991, has been marked globally since 2007, following a proposal by the Government of Bangladesh to the United Nations, which was unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, IDF reports indicate that approximately 42 crore people worldwide suffer from diabetes, with one in every ten adults affected. The situation in South Asia is particularly concerning, and Bangladesh is experiencing a significant rise in diabetes cases. The Bangladesh Endocrine Society (BES) notes that around 1.31 crore people in Bangladesh currently live with diabetes, ranking the country eighth globally.
Projections suggest that the number of diabetes patients in Bangladesh could exceed 1.50 crore by 202
5. Presently, about 14% of adults aged between 20-79 years in the country are impacted by the disease, with half of these individuals unaware of their condition. Among children aged 10-12 years, more than 20,000 have been diagnosed with diabetes.
Statistics reveal that a diabetic patient dies every 10 seconds while two new cases are diagnosed in the same timeframe. The latest IDF Diabetes Atlas data highlights that 53.7 million people were diagnosed with diabetes in 2021. This number is expected to rise to 64.3 crore by 2030 and 78.3 crore by 2045. Furthermore, 24 crore people are unaware they have diabetes, with the majority having type-2 diabetes. Over 12 lakh children and adolescents globally suffer from type-1 diabetes, and in 2021, 67 lakh people died due to the disease.