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Diabetes is not just a disease but has become a big economic challenge. This is becoming a threat not only to health but also to the economy of the country. A new international study has revealed that India may suffer a loss of about 11.4 trillion dollars due to diabetes. In this matter, India is second in the world. America is at number one and China is at number three.
At present about 21.2 crore people in India are suffering from diabetes. That means a major part of the total diabetes patients in the world is in India. The most worrying thing is that about 62 percent of these people are not even getting treatment. Currently, around 83 crore adults around the world are suffering from diabetes. It is estimated that by the year 2050 this number will increase to 130 crores. That means one out of every ten adults will be affected by this disease.
What is Diabetes?
This is a disease in which insulin is produced less in the body or does not work properly. Due to this, the sugar level in the blood increases significantly. This disease can also be genetic but poor diet, obesity, stress and lack of physical effort are its main reasons.
- According to researchers associated with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Heidelberg, Vienna University, Harvard University, Huazhong University, 212 million Indians are suffering from diabetes. The worrying thing is that about 62 percent of the patients suffering from diabetes in India are not even getting treatment.
- In this study, the cost of treatment, loss due to inability to work and time taken in taking care of the patient have been included. The economic loss caused by diabetes worldwide is estimated to be around 10.2 trillion dollars.
- According to the study, if the cost of free care provided by family members is also included, then this loss increases to 152 trillion dollars. This means that diabetes is now proving to be more expensive than diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Its burden is high in India because the number of patients is very high. Many people do not get treatment. Because of this, people are unable to work properly and their families have to take care of them. Diabetes has now become not just a disease but a major social and economic crisis.