WASHINGTON, DC – The prevalence of diabetes in the Caribbean is as high as 20 per cent of the adult population, according to a new study released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
It said that the study reveals that in the Americas, 112 million adults or 13 per cent of the adult population are living with diabetes, which represents almost four times the number of adults living with diabetes in 1990, when it was 30 million adults or seven per cent of the adult population.
“ In the Caribbean, the prevalence is even higher, reaching 20 per cent of the adult population,” said the new data published by The Lancet on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, observed on Thursday under the theme “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps”.
The study notes that ensuring access to treatment remains a challenge in the Region of the Americas, where an estimated 43 million people with diabetes, over 30 years of age, have no access to treatment, highlighting the urgent need to expand access to primary care services.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) initiative “Better Care for NCDs: Accelerating Action in Primary Health Care is an evidence-based initiative that provides member states with the necessary normative guidance to strengthen their primary care services in order to improve access to and quality of care for noncommunicable diseases, including diabetes.
PAHO also supports countries in implementing the type 2 diabetes clinical pathway, a standardized technical resource aimed at improving the quality and efficiency of health care for people with type 2 diabetes at the primary health care level.
PAHO’s Revolving Funds, a pooled purchasing mechanism that enables countries in the Americas to access quality vaccines, essential medicines, and public health supplies at affordable prices, also offer high-quality diabetes medicines, such as insulin, metformin, and glicazide, as well as glucometers and related supplies.
WHO said that to address the growing burden of diabetes, it has launched a new global framework for monitoring diabetes.
“This product is a key step in the global response, providing comprehensive guidance to countries on how to measure and evaluate diabetes prevention, care, outcomes and impacts. By monitoring a range of key indicators, including glycaemic control, hypertension and access to essential medicines, countries can improve targeted actions and policy initiatives.
“his standardised approach empowers countries to effectively prioritize resources, thereby driving significant improvements in diabetes prevention and treatment,” it added.
The WHO Global Compact on Diabetes, launched in 2021, includes a shared aspiration to reduce diabetes risks and ensure that all people diagnosed with the condition have access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable and quality care and treatment services.
Work under the Compact will also promote the prevention of type 2 diabetes, which is due to obesity, unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity. In addition, the Health Assembly adopted a resolution on diabetes that year, urging member states to give greater priority to the prevention, diagnosis and control of diabetes, as well as the prevention and treatment of risk factors such as obesity.
In 2022, WHO set five global targets for diabetes coverage to be achieved by 2030 at the latest. One of these is to ensure that 80 per cent of people diagnosed with diabetes have good glycaemic control.
The publication released on Thursday highlights the scale and urgency of the actions needed to advance efforts to close the gap.
WHO said the coming year, 2025, provides a unique opportunity to put action on the path to combating the alarming rise of diabetes worldwide with the fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in September.
The summit will bring together heads of state and government to define a robust vision for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, through a collective commitment to address root causes and improve access to screening and treatment.
“By aligning efforts to achieve the 2030 and 2050 goals, this High-Level Meeting will mark a turning point in strengthening global health systems, including primary health care, and halting the rise of the diabetes epidemic,’ the WHO added.
The study was produced by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), a global network of more than 1,500 researchers and practitioners, in collaboration with WHO. It is the first global analysis of trends in both diabetes rates and treatment coverage and is based on data from more than 140 million people aged 18 years or older who participated in more than 1,000 population-based studies in all countries.
