New Delhi: On World Diabetes Day, the WHO on Monday called for increased access to quality diabetes education for healthcare workers, the public and people living with diabetes as part of efforts to ensure better access to quality and affordable care for the disease.
Globally, around 422 million people have diabetes, and 1.5 million deaths are directly attributed to diabetes every year, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, said on the World Diabetes Day.
In the WHO South-East Asia Region, more than 96 million people are estimated to have diabetes, and another 96 million to be pre-diabetic, causing at least 600,000 deaths annually, she said.
The WHO highlighted the seriousness of Diabetes and said that if detected late, or improperly managed, can lead to serious and life-threatening damage to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nerves. (Agencies)
