Experts worry over rising diabetes epidemic in BD
Reza Mahmud :
A gradual alarming increase of diabetes among the country’s adult population has become serious cause of concern for the public health experts.
The experts are of the opinion that if not prevented or taken appropriate measures beforehand the rising trend of the disease is likely to cause a heavy damage to the workforce.
They urged the people to be more cautious for preventing the diabetes as it called the mother of many diseases like kidney failures and such others.
Sources from health department said, the diabetes prevalence rate is 10.95 percent among adult people in the country.
It showed, Bangladesh has 572,600 estimated deaths caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs) annually.
It is 67 percent of deaths from different causes in the country.
It said also 10 percent of NCDs deaths are caused by diabetes.
Public health experts said, diabetes cases are increasing due to unplanned urbanisation which contributed to more people living sedentary lives.
The dominant type is diabetes type 2 among the people. Overweight, obesity, lack of physical activities, unhealthy food habits are contributory factors while family history is considered as a genetic factor too are the reasons behind the increasing trend of the disease among the people.
The experts also said unhealthy lifestyle such as less sleeping or late night sleeping and taking adulterated foods also have played role in increasing diabetes spreading.
When contacted, Professor Dr. M. Muzaherul Huq told The New Nation on Saturday, “Diabetes is a chronic disease. More than one quarter of adults particularly older individuals are pre-diabetic or diabetic in Bangladesh.
It was reported in 2021 from official source 14.2 percent of adults are diabetic in Bangladesh which has increased by now.”
National Professor Dr A K Azad Khan.
President, Bangladesh Diabetic Samity, said, “The world is suffering from an epidemic of diabetes.
This epidemic is rising faster in developing countries like Bangladesh.”
He said, ensuring quality care for diabetes patients is very important now.
Professor Dr. Robed Amin, Line Director of the Non Communicable Disease Control (NCDC), of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said, “When we have given highly importance to dengue and covid, the diabetes is spreading alarmingly in our country.”
He said that the rate of diabetes spreading is now 10 percent among the adults.
Experts suggested preventing diabetes by loosing extra weight, being more physically active, eating more healthy diets, having minerals and vitamins with carbohydrates and avoiding junk foods.
Spinach, mushroom, lean proteins with brown rice and several types of vegetables are useful to help reducing diabetes, experts suggested.
Professor Muzaherul Huq said, a diabetic patient should regularly test for sugar and consult preferably a diabetologist.
He also advised that the diabetic patient should also be involved in physical activity or regular exercise to keep him fit while avoid any injury or disease.
