DUBAI: The total money spent on the treatment of diabetes in Abu Dhabi is estimated at Dhs1 billion a year, which is projected to quadruple in 10 years to Dhs4 billion, if interventions are not in place.
The monetary financial strain, not only on the healthcare system but also on ordinary individual pockets, came to light when results of a public-private collaborative research study, with regard to the disease, dubbed as the world’s “silent killer,” was released to the media on Wednesday, in Dubai.
The one-year study was conducted and analysed by the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (Haad) and the US pharmaceutical firm Lilly, since December last year.
The goal was to know the extent to which a disease, if ignored, burdens a society — not only in terms of expenditure which may be wasted because of the inevitable death, but also in terms of the productivity as well as the quality of life of its victims.
The study was also undertaken to facilitate implementation of preventive measures and programmes to minimise the progression of the disease’s signs and symptoms as also its multi-dimensional complications.
Used in the study was the data gathered from the Haad’s Weqaya Screening Programme during the past year.
As such, it involved 94 per cent of the total 210,000 UAE nationals or 197,400 residing in the capital from age 18 onwards, with 180,000 of them analysed, said Haad — Public Heath and Policy director, Dr Oliver Harrison.
Of the 180,000 analysed, 18 per cent of them, or 32,400, are afflicted with Type 2 diabetes (defined by the body’s resistance to or insufficient production of insulin) and 24 per cent or 43,200 have the signs and symptoms of pre-diabetes, which may result in full-blown diabetes and worst, its complications, if disregarded.
Moreover, of the 180,000, 71 per cent or 127,800 are at risk of developing a cardiovascular disease complication and it is estimated that 4,500 would be suffering from heart stroke in 10 years.
Harrison said Haad has been actively discussing with authorities so that only healthy foodstuffs would only be produced, marketed and consumed by the public and regular exercise programmes would be imbibed by the population.
He added talks are also ongoing with tobacco industry stakeholders and the like.
Despite all these and the huge number of the UAE population affected by the disease, Harrison admitted to The Gulf Today it is still a long way to go and the task is “challenging.”
He said public awareness is not enough because there is an unconscious part in every person that makes him/her cling on to ingrained lifestyle habits.
Like all the other medical experts calling for active screening programmes to be put in place in order to thwart the worsening of an undiagnosed health problem, Harrison stressed on the importance of screening and which he claimed, is made available by Haad.
As with other experts, he pointed out that strong implementation of government policies and regulations aimed at curbing health concerns, is the solution.
On the private sector front, Lilly-Diabetes Strategy for Emerging Markets senior advisor Joachim Becker told this reporter about the availability of a “Diabetes Map” which the company has conceptualised, that would help the public understand the impact of the disease if they don’t change to healthier lifestyles.
Source: Gulf Today
Date: 8 December 2011