Pakistan Faces An Alarming Increase In Diabetes Patients

Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) Wednesday arranged an online media session connected with World Diabetes Day to create awareness regarding the country's increasing number of diabetes patients

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Nov, 2021 ) :Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) Wednesday arranged an online media session connected with World Diabetes Day to create awareness regarding the country's increasing number of diabetes patients.

Leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly Haleem Adil Sheikh, while speaking on the occasion as Chief Guest, said that health was the top priority of PTI" s government, and the government was taking steps to overcome the disease" s burden.

"Today's media session contains essential information; such sessions should be held in every province so that the people can know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods", he said.

Prof. Abdul Basit, Director, General Diabetic Association of Pakistan, while highlighting the current situation of diabetes in Pakistan, said that diabetes was increasing alarmingly in Pakistan.

The number of people living with diabetes in Pakistan has increased from 19 million to 33 million in the last two years, while Pakistan has surpassed the United States in the number of people living with diseases and is now ranked 3rd highest globally.

In addition to diabetes, there were 10 million people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), while Obesity has doubled in children during the last seven years.

"If immediate steps are not taken, the situation will become out of control. Our country's children and adolescents are even now becoming diabetic," he added.

He said that increase was due to ignorance and lack of guidance.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Khawaja Masood Ahmad, National Coordinator of Nutrition, said that excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened Beverages was one of the major causes of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other NCDs, so we need to focus on our diet and stop taking Sugar-sweetened Beverages, to protect our young from the deadly diseases.

Secretary-General Pakistan Hypertension League and Executive Member Cardiovascular Forum Prof. Muhammad Ishaq said that heart disease in Pakistan grew worryingly. Forty-seven people die every hour in Pakistan due to heart attacks.

"Diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension are deadly, so we need not only to avoid sugar-sweetened beverages but also increase taxes on them to reduce their access to the public," he said.

Sana Ullah Ghumman, General Secretary PANAH, Munawar Hussain, from food Policy Program and others also spoke on the occasion.