Port-Louis, 13 November 2009 -- The figures are alarming. Nevertheless they are real. By 2010, more than 285 millions people worldwide will live with diabetes of which 4 million will die. The number of cases could rise up to 438 millions by 2030.

These statistics are published in the World Diabetes Atlas 2009 presented by David Whiting, epidemiologist, at the International Conference on Diabetes and Associated Diseases held in Port-Louis (Mauritius).

India, China, Japan, United States and Australia are among the ten most affected countries in the world. These countries have a high density of population with India and China having a total of 50 million and 43 million cases of diabetes respectively.

In the African Region, with a rate of prevalence that might increase up to 98% between 2010 and 2030, the threat is real according to a study presented by Pr Ayesha Motala from South Africa. Mauritius has a prevalence rate of Diabetes Type 2 of 19,3%.

The increasing threat of diabetes is due to a combination of factors that are related to health life styles: unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco, and obesity. The situation becomes extremely critical as diabetes is closely linked to cardiovascular diseases.

According to Dr Pascal Bovet, Profesor at Lausanne University, Switzerland, 80% of diabetes patients will die of cardiovascular diseases. ‘'The risk is the same worldwide.

WHO called upon countries to strengthen National NCDs Programmes within the framework of the Global and Regional Strategies on Prevention and Control of NCDs.

The Director of the Divention for Prevention and Control of NCDs at the WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr Alimata Jeanne Diarra-Nama, stressed the importance of developing an institutional framework similar to the Strategy on Poverty Reduction and WHO Cooperation Strategy with Countries.

Other strategic orientations are based on the integration of NCDs control in national health development plans, reorientation and strengthening of health systems for better management
of NCDs.

WHO also stresses the importance of NCDs surveillance and data collection for evidence based policy development and decision making, dissemination and sharing of information on the magnitude of NCDs including diabetes.

Dr Allel Louazani, NCDs Surveillance Regional Adviser at WHO Regional Office for Africa, said in his presentation that 26 countries have carried out STEPS investigations, representing more than a third of the studies carried out worlwide.

The International Conference on Diabetes and Associated Diseases, which is jointly organized by the Governement of Mauritius, WHO and the International Diabetes Federation gathers more than 300 delegates among which thirty high level experts in diabetology. The 3 day Conference, opened on November 12.

For more information, please contact:

Media Contacts : Collins Boakye-Agyemang, Flavienne Issembé, Devan Mohee, Souleymane Koné, Henry Bastienne, José Dacosta Caetano, to the following numbers: +230 7806478 ; 7649665 ; 2539387; 7649533

Technical Contacts: Dr A.J. Diarra-Nama et Dr Boureima Hama Sambo to the following number: +230 7513131