Sindh has the highest number of diabetics in Pakistan and the incidence of lifestyle disease is as high as 30.2 percent in the province while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the lowest incidence of the disease, which is 12.9 percent. Overall incidence of the diabetes in Pakistan is 26.3 percent while 14.4 percent others are pre-diabetics, reveals National Diabetes Survey of Pakistan (NDSP) 2016-17.
"Sindh has the highest number of diabetics that is 30.2 percent, followed by Punjab and Balochistan where the incidence of diabetes is 28.8 and 28.1 percent respectively. KP has the lowest incidence of the lifestyle disease, which is 12.9 percent but KP has the highest number of pre-diabetics, which is above 15 percent", said Professor Abdul Basit, Principal Investigator of the NDSP 2016-17 while addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Monday.
Co-Investigator of the national survey Dr Asher Fawwad and Dr Muhammad Zafar Abbasi, the coordinator of the NDSP 2016-17 were also present on the occasion. The survey was conducted in 46 districts and tehsils of Pakistan during last one year and over 10,800 people over the age of 20 years were tested as per World Health Organization's guidelines to ascertain the actual ratio of diabetics and related illnesses and factors in Pakistan, Professor Abdul Basit informed.
Revealing the shocking results of the national diabetes survey conducted in collaboration with government of Pakistan, in which not only the data of diabetics was collected but the incidence of pre-diabetes, hypertension, obesity and high levels of cholesterol was also checked, Professor Abdul Basit said 26.3 percent of diabetics in Pakistan over the age of 20 means that every 4th Pakistani is a diabetic while 14.4 percent people are pre-diabetics, which shows that they would also develop the disease in the coming years.
"This is an alarming situation as this survey revealed that about 40 percent of the Pakistan population is either diabetic already or going to have the disease sooner or later in their lives", Professor Basit claimed, adding that this also shows the poor national habits of dieting, living standards, attitude towards exercise and healthy activities and overall health situation in Pakistan.-PR