WHO says diabetes dampening development

Transcript

The World Health Organisation says disability from diabetes is having a huge negative impact on development in the Pacific Region and now affects over 40 per cent of adults in some nations.

Today is World Diabetes day and the WHO's NCD technical officer Peter Hoejskov says the complications from diabetes such as amputations and blindness have a huge personal cost on lives and economic cost on country development.

He told Jenny Meyer the early detection of diabetes can avoid a lot of complications.

PETER HOEJSKOV:The Pacific has some of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. In some countries over 40 per cent of the adult population have diabetes, so it's extreme. In terms of NCDs diabetes is clearly one of the key diseases, together with cardiovascular disease and the relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease should not be forgotten either. So it's clearly a huge problem, the disease in itself and the complications that follow from diabetes in terms of amputations and blindness and other complications.

JENNY MEYER: I wonder if you can just go through some of those complications, because I guess in the early stages it's quite easy for people to be in denial about even having diabetes, and yet the consequences are quite extreme aren't they for quality of life?

PH: Yeah, that's true. I mean diabetes can be managed to a great extent. But bad management or lack of management can lead to these complications. So it's very important to make interventions at an early stage. And if people have a feeling that they might have diabetes, it's very good to have their blood sugar tested and get an early diagnosis sot that treatment can start as early as possible, that can avoid a lot of complications. And when people have been diagnosed with the disease, close management in terms of drug management but also lifestyle changes needs to happen quite comprehensively. So it's important to start as early as possible.

JM: Some people are saying that there are quite horrendous statistics involved with regard to the complications. I've read one figure that there's an amputation happening in Fiji every 12 hours for example, what would you say to people who maybe are just so scared that they don't want to see a doctor?

PH: I mean that's very, very important to see a doctor as early as possible if complications start to appear. So diabetic foot care is very important. So any ulcers you might have on feet need to be looked at by a doctor. You're right we have some of the highest amputation rates in the Pacific. Fiji is high. Kiribati has the highest rates in the world in terms of amputations per capita and diabetes patients, it's quite significant. Blindness is another complication and we also have high rates of blindness because of diabetes in the Pacific.

JM: So the burden on health services for people who have trouble with their mobility must be huge?

PH: It is. Disability related to NCDs is a big, big problem. It has a huge impact on the health system. And what we in WHO are trying to tell the world and tell the leaders in the Pacific is that the NCD crisis and the high rates of diabetes in this case is not only a health problem. It's affecting the economy because people become disabled or they die early it has a huge impact on development in the entire region.

Peter Hoejskov says sadly diabetes is now being seen by some as an inevitable disease but it can be prevented and turned around with a healthy diet, 30 minutes daily exercise and medical treatment if necessary.