TRUE SCALE OF DIABETES EPIDEMIC HIGHLIGHTED AT GLOBAL HEALTH SUMMIT
New report urges policymakers to take action on diabetes at World Innovation Summit for Health
Doha, Qatar (17 February 2015): An expert report looking at the prevalence of type 2 diabetes around the world, released today, has highlighted the rising rates of the disease and the “staggering” associated health and economic impacts.
The report, Rising to the Challenge, was published at the World Innovation Summit for Health in Doha, Qatar, a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, and calls for policymakers to address the serious, urgent and universal diabetes challenge. It highlights that an estimated 10 per cent of the world’s adult population – nearly 600 million people – will suffer with the condition by 2035.
Experts argue that diabetes currently lacks the public or political priority that it should have and proposes three clinical goals for policymakers; improve disease management for people with diabetes to reduce complication rates; establish effective surveillance to identify and support those at risk of type 2 diabetes; and deliver a range of interventions to help create an environment focused on prevention.
The report pulls together practical examples of initiatives that have been effective at combating diabetes prevalence around the world and concludes by outlining clear steps for addressing the diabetes challenge.
Professor Stephen Colagiuri, Professor of Metabolic Health at the University of Sydney, Australia, who led the team that published the report, said: “This report aims to equip policymakers around the world with tools to stem the tide of diabetes. Doing nothing is not an option, so it is vital that we share and learn from best practice examples from around the world and put interventions in place.
“The World Innovation Summit for Health has been a great platform for health leaders and policymakers to share ideas and expertise and I am confident that many of these initiatives will be taken forward.”
Professor The Lord Darzi of Denham, Executive Chair of WISH and Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College of London, said: “Today’s discussions on the challenge of type 2 diabetes will have had a profound impact on key influencers in this field of health. I hope that delegates were able to gather insight that will empower them to take steps towards preventing and treating type 2 diabetes. We are grateful to Professor Colagiuri and his team for producing this valuable body of work which I know will help us take a meaningful step in our fight against diabetes both now and in the future.”
Other key facts and stats from the report:
• Type 2 diabetes currently affects about 350 million people worldwide
• The cost of direct healthcare for diabetes and its complications was around 11 percent of total healthcare costs worldwide in 2014 – equivalent to $612 billion, greater than the entire GDP of countries such as Nigeria or Sweden
• As a country’s GDP grows, so does the prevalence of diabetes and the diabetes spend
• The health consequences of type 2 diabetes are more severe than often recognized and include increased susceptibility to blindness, lower limb amputations, kidney failure, heart attacks and stroke
• Diabetes can be prevented: daily moderate-intensity physical activity and a healthy diet can drastically reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
• 80 percent of the world’s diabetic population lives in countries where only 20 percent of the global budget for healthcare is spent
Diabetes is one of eight reports being presented at the 2015 WISH Summit taking place in Qatar, where leading international health experts are joining an influential community of heads of state, government ministers, academics, clinicians, policy makers and business leaders to discuss innovative solutions to some of the most pressing global health challenges.
As well as Diabetes, WISH will publish reports on Communicating Complex Health Messages, Patient Safety, Delivering Affordable Cancer Care, Dementia, Universal Health Coverage, Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children, and Maternal and Newborn Health.
WISH is spearheaded by Qatar Foundation to inspire and diffuse healthcare innovation and best practice. It remains closely aligned to the vision and mission of QF to unlock human potential and reinforces Qatar’s pioneering role as an emerging center for healthcare innovation.
To download the reports and watch the research discussions that taking place at WISH, please visit wish.org.qa.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
For more information please contact:
Noha El Afify
WISH Communications Manager
nelafify@wish.org.qa
+974 7768 6624
Rising to the challenge: preventing and managing type 2 diabetes
THE REPORT’S FOCUS
Leading organizations such as the World Health Organization, the United Nations General Assembly and the World Economic Forum recognize diabetes as a global problem for policymakers today. The challenge posed by diabetes is universal – it affects both developing and developed countries. Already 80 percent of the world’s diabetic population lives in countries where only 20 percent of the global budget for healthcare is spent.
But while shocking statistics give us a clear picture of the scale and urgency of the problem, how to tackle the issue is not so straightforward. The Forum report argues that diabetes lacks the public or political priority that it should have proportional to its health and social impact.
The report’s focus is therefore on proposing actionable recommendations which enable policymakers to improve disease management, increase effective surveillance and implement prevention strategies, based on innovative approaches from around the world.
REPORT INSIGHTS
Both the health and economic consequences of diabetes are often underestimated and implementing changes to tackle the global issue of type 2 diabetes is a complex area. The report considers the multiple interventions needed from a range of government departments and advocacy groups to tackle the issue – from treatment and screening, to prevention via both soft ‘nudges’ and tough legislation.
The Forum report identifies three key policy goals for policymakers, summarized as follows: improve disease management for people with diabetes to reduce complication rates; establish effective surveillance to identify and support those at risk of type 2 diabetes; and deliver a range of interventions to help create an environment focused on prevention. The report concludes with four steps to help address the diabetes challenge based on the innovative practices considered by the Forum Panel.
FORUM CHAIR
Professor Stephen Colagiuri
Professor of Metabolic Health at the University of Sydney, Australia
Stephen Colagiuri is the Professor of Metabolic Health and Director of Boden Institute for Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise at the University of Sydney. He is also Co-Director of the Boden Institute’s World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity. His research interests focus on the development and implementation of evidence-based guidelines, cardiometabolic and vascular risk assessment, diabetes screening and prevention, the glycemic index, economic aspects of diabetes and obesity, and diabetes care delivery in developing countries.
He has previously served as President of the Australian Diabetes Society and Chair of the International Diabetes Federation Task Force on Clinical Guidelines. He is a member of the Diabetes Expert Advisory Committee of the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care and an advisor on diabetes to the World Health Organization.
Professor Colagiuri is currently Editor-in-Chief of the IDF journal, Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, and has published over 200 scientific papers on diabetes.
About the World Innovation Summit for Health:
The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) is a global healthcare community dedicated to capturing and disseminating the best evidence-based ideas and practices. WISH is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) and is under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, its Chairperson.
The inaugural WISH Summit took place in Doha in 2013 and convened more than 1,000 global healthcare leaders. Through international summits and a range of ongoing initiatives, WISH is creating a global community of leading innovators in healthcare policy, research and industry.
Together, they are harnessing the power of innovation to overcome the world’s most urgent healthcare challenges and inspire other stakeholders to action.
Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development is a private, non-profit organisation that is supporting Qatar on its journey from a carbon economy to knowledge economy by unlocking human potential for the benefit of not only Qatar, but the world. Founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, The Father Emir, QF is chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
QF carries out its mission through three strategic pillars: education, science and research, and community development. QF’s education pillar brings world-class universities to Qatar to help create an education sector in which young people can develop the attitudes and skills required for a knowledge economy. Meanwhile, its science and research pillar builds Qatar’s innovation and technology capacity by developing and commercialising solutions through key sciences. Finally, its community development pillar helps foster a progressive society while also enhancing cultural life, protecting Qatar’s heritage and addressing immediate social needs in the community.
For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, visit http://www.qf.org.qa
For more information about Qatar Foundation please contact our press office at: pressoffice@qf.org.qa
