By Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia
This year the theme for World Diabetes Day is “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps”. It serves as a reminder to all of us of the need to collectively work to overcome the growing burden of diabetes globally and in WHO South-East Asia Region. The theme emphasizes the importance of tackling the challenges faced by individuals, communities, and health systems to access diabetes prevention and management.
Latest estimates for 2022 indicates that diabetes affects nearly 246 million people 30 years and above in the WHO South-East Asia Region. The outcomes of untreated and uncontrolled diabetes range from heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure, blindness, and amputations. These complications not only impose an emotional and financial burden on individuals and families but also significant financial strain on healthcare systems.
More than 60% of people with diabetes in the Region are unaware of their status. The public need to be made aware of prevention, detection, and management of diabetes through awareness campaigns integrated with campaigns aimed at healthy lifestyles, and those targeted at maternal, child and adolescent health considering the life course approach.
Prevention of risk factors of diabetes needs an enabling environment and implementing WHO best buys interventions in the national context through a multisectoral approach. The policy and programmatic initiatives taken by countries of the South-East Asia Region to address tobacco control, obesity, trans fatty acid elimination, and physical inactivity are positive steps and are being identified as good practices globally.
Bridging the service gaps to ensure timely access to diabetes care can save lives. The care services need to be equitable, comprehensive, accessible, and affordable. In our Region, less than one in three adults with diabetes are on treatment and less than 15 % of people living with diabetes have the disease status under control. The lack of readiness of our primary healthcare systems in terms of standard management protocol availability of essential medicines, issues related to availability and affordability of quality diagnostics, and trained healthcare professionals need to be remedied immediately.
The countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region, are making steady progress in the provision of services for the management of diabetes. More than 23 million people with diabetes have been placed on protocol-based management by mid-2024 aiming to reach the SEAHEARTS target of 100 million with diabetes and hypertension to be placed on standard treatment by 2025.
There is a further need to strengthen the integration of diabetes care into primary healthcare systems, including the implementation of the WHO HEARTS D technical package in the national context. Equipping primary health care with essential medicines and diagnostics including insulin and HbA1c testing, robust systems for monitoring the diabetes outcomes, and integration of diabetes services with infectious diseases like tuberculosis to mutually benefit both TB and NCD programmes.
The path to overcome barriers and care gaps is long and challenging, but achievable. It is a shared responsibility of governments, healthcare providers, and communities to prevent diabetes and make healthier, longer, and more productive lives of people living with diabetes. On this World Diabetes Day, let us come together to ensure that no one is left behind and that equitable, affordable, and high-quality diabetes care becomes a reality for all.