Alarming Rise in Diabetes Cases Worldwide: Number Expected to Double by 2050
Key Highlights :
The number of adults living with diabetes worldwide is set to more than double by 2050, according to a recent study published in The Lancet and The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journals. The research blames rapidly rising obesity levels and widening health inequalities for the alarming rise, with an estimated 529 million adults living with diabetes in 2021 projected to reach more than 1.3 billion in 2050. No country is expected to see a decline in its diabetes rate over the next 30 years.
Experts have described the data as alarming, saying diabetes is outpacing most diseases globally and presenting a significant threat to people and health systems. The UN has predicted that by 2050 the world’s population will be about 9.8 billion, meaning that by then between one in seven and one in eight people will be living with diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes, which makes up the bulk of diabetes cases, is largely preventable and, in some cases, potentially reversible if identified and managed early in the disease course. However, all evidence indicates that diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, primarily due to a rise in obesity caused by multiple factors. Structural racism experienced by minority ethnic groups and “geographic inequity” are accelerating rates of diabetes, disease, illness and death around the world. People from marginalised communities are less likely to have access to essential medicines such as insulin, and have worse blood sugar control, a lower quality of life and reduced life expectancy.
The pandemic has amplified diabetes inequity globally, with people with diabetes twice as likely to develop severe infection with Covid-19 and to die, especially among minority ethnic groups. The research outlines how the large-scale and deep-rooted effects of racism and inequity lead to unequal impacts on global diabetes prevalence, care and outcomes. Negative impacts of public awareness and policy, economic development, access to high-quality care, innovations in management, and sociocultural norms are felt widely by marginalised populations and will be for generations to come.
It is vital that the impact of social and economic factors on diabetes is acknowledged, understood and incorporated into efforts to curb the global diabetes crisis. Chris Askew, the chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: “This important study underlines the sheer scale of the diabetes crisis we’re facing, both in the UK and around the world. Your ethnicity, where you live and your income all affect your chances of getting type 2 diabetes, the care you receive and your long-term health, and these are all interlinked. The need for concerted cross-government action to address inequalities in diabetes prevalence and outcomes, as well as the underlying conditions of ill health, such as poverty and living with obesity, has never been greater or more urgent.”
In order to combat the global diabetes crisis, it is essential to address the underlying causes, such as obesity, poverty and racism. Governments must take action to ensure that everyone has access to quality healthcare and essential medicines, such as insulin, and that public awareness and policy are implemented to reduce the risk of diabetes. It is also important to ensure that those living with diabetes are provided with the support they need to manage their condition. Without urgent action, the number of adults living with diabetes will continue to rise, presenting a serious challenge to healthcare systems worldwide.
