HA NOI (VNS) — Only 37 per cent of around 5 million diabetes patients in Viet Nam, equivalent to 1.9 million, were diagnosed with the disease, participants heard at a workshop yesterday.
“Diabetes is growing rapidly all over the country, especially in large cities and industrial zones,” announced Vice Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Xuyen at the event in Ha Noi.
Xuyen also quoted that the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes has increased by 211 per cent over the last 10 years (from 2002 to 2012). In every 10 cases with diabetes in Viet Nam, six were diagnosed with complications.
“Many patients and their families as well as health care centres are suffering from the economic burden in dealing with this costly disease,” added Xuyen.
Health experts explained that ageing population, urbanisation and lifestyle change were the reasons for the increase in diabetes in Viet Nam and the world.
The health ministry statistics reported that Viet Nam was in the low- to middle-income group of countries, which are heavily affected by diabetes. Diabetes rate was around 7 per cent in large cities such as Ha Noi or HCM City compared to the country’s general rate of 5.7 per cent.
“Diabetes can be prevented and effectively treated if it is discovered at the early stages and through determined actions,” stated Danish Ambassador to Viet Nam John Nielsen.
“The workshop will lay the foundation for subsequent discussions and collaborations of all stakeholders in their efforts to manoeuvre the alarming increase in diabetic disease and its socioeconomic damages,” added Nielsen.
The workshop is under the framework of the Viet Nam Diabetes Care Programme, a co-collaboration between the Ministry of Health and the Danish company of Novo Nordisk Viet Nam since 2013.
In coming years, health sector will focus activities on increasing the awareness about diabetes, improving screening for people at risk, training more physicians on diabetes management, achieving better control among treated patients and improving access to diabetes care, including vulnerable populations such as pregnant women and children.
The World Health Organisation statistics revealed that by November 2013, there are approximately 382 million people in the world reported to have diabetes, including type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes, with new disabling and life-threatening complications. — VNS
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