One in 10 Lankans are diabetic -NDC Director

Nadira Gunatilleke

It is reported that one in every ten Sri Lankans suffer from diabetes at the moment.

The percentage of persons who suffer from diabetes in Sri Lanka in 2006 is 10.2 and this was only 2.5 in 1990, Dr. Mahen Wijesuriya, Director, National Diabetes Centre (NDC) said.

Addressing a special press briefing held at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo yesterday Dr. Wijesuriya said that in 2000 the percentage of Sri Lankans suffering from diabetes was only 6.5. The main problem in Sri Lanka today is the rise of Type 2 diabetes.

More and more children and adolescents are diagnosed with diabetes in Sri Lanka since the recent past, he added. Dr. Wijesuriya pointed out that the main reasons for the rise of diabetes is drifting away from traditional Sri Lankan lifestyle which encouraged people to eat natural healthy food and lead an active life with lots of physical activities.

To prevent and control diabetes, people are required to take a balanced diet and lead a well balanced lifestyle with less mental stress.

The Global Pandemic in 2006 is 246 million and most of them were in the low and middle income countries such as Sri Lanka.

Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 percent of all diabetes and 50 percent with the disease are not aware of the condition. 3.2 million people die every year of diabetes related illnesses globally and this amount is more than 3 million who die from HIV/AIDS.

It is discovered that more and more children are at risk in the world as a result of dietary changes and lack of physical activities. One in ten children in the world is overweight and 22 million of them are under 5 years of age. 85 percent of children with diabetes are overweight or obese.

Type 1 diabetes is also rising at an alarming rate of 3 percent per year and 70,000 children develop type 1 diabetes annually. African, Hispanic, Asian and native American children are more at risk. It is also discovered that every minute six persons die of diabetes and 12 persons develop the disease.