Bangalore: Most people have the misconception that diabetes is a disease that affects only the affluent. Quite contrary to this, it is the poor that are most vulnerable to diabetes and least equipped to seek care and prevent the onset of complications, according to the World Health Organisation.

This year, the theme for World Diabetes Day is "Diabetes Care for Everyone."

According to the International Diabetes Foundation, the number of people with diabetes will increase to over 350 million by 2025. Of this, 80 per cent people live in low and medium income countries.

Healthcare system

"The healthcare delivery system has to address the needs of poor people with diabetes. In India, although a lot of emphasis is placed on communicable diseases, we have a huge burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and blood pressure that have to be addressed," A.K. Das, Director, Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research told The Hindu. The recent WHO publication "Preventing Chronic Diseases: a vital investment" explains how a combination of higher levels of risk behaviour, unhealthy living conditions, material deprivation, psycho-social stress and limited access to optimal care lead to increasing the incidence of diabetes.

According to K.R. Suresh, Director of the Jain Institute of Vascular Sciences, Mahaveer Jain Hospital, India has a conservative estimate of over three crore diabetics.

In Bangalore, around 13 per cent (600,000) of adults have Diabetes mellitus. "Within 100 km from Bangalore, there are another 15 million people and this would translate to another 500,000 diabetics," he said.

One of the major complications of the disease is diabetic foot ulcers. Its economic impact was quite huge with the annual incidence of diabetics being four per cent, he added.

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