Prevalence of diabetes and other health related problems across India and worldwide: An overview

Diabetes mellitus is a major source of mortality and morbidity along with an economic menace all over the world. In 2000, prevalence of diabetes worldwide was 171,000,000 and in 2030, it will be 366,000,000, nearly one in ten people globally will have some form of diabetes by 2035. There are some 382 million people living with the disease, but that could jump 55% by 2035. The total number of people in India with diabetes to be around 50.8 million in 2010, rising to 87.0 million by 2030 and it is estimated that by 2040 the numbers will increase upto 123.5 million. It has estimated that the prevalence of diabetes in rural populations is one-quarter that of urban population for India and other Indian sub-continent countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. Indian Council of Medical research (ICMR) revealed that a lower proportion of the population is affected in states of Northern India (Chandigarh 0.12 million, Jharkhand 0.96 million) as compared to Maharashtra (9.2 million) and Tamil Nadu (4.8 million). The National Urban Survey conducted across the metropolitan cities of India reported similar trend: 11.7 per cent in Kolkata (Eastern India), 6.1 per cent in Kashmir Valley (Northern India), 11.6 per cent in New Delhi (Northern India), and 9.3 per cent in West India (Mumbai) compared with (13.5 per cent in Chennai (South India), 16.6 per cent in Hyderabad (south India), and 12.4 per cent Bangalore (South India). Strengthening of health promotion activitiesin different settings, preventive health screening package, better treatment facilities and effective implementation can cure these problems worldwide.