Diabetes is a serious chronic condition that affects glucose metabolism in the body.¹ If it is not treated, it can lead to several complications. These include retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy at the microvascular level and ischemic heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease at the macrovascular level.¹

Diabetes is disease of concern since it steadily increasing in prevalence globally² and the impact is higher for low and lower middle-income countries located in Asia and Africa.³ By some estimates, there are currently about 537 million people living with diabetes globally.⁴ Without effective intervention, this number is expected to reach 643 million by 2030.⁴ Among the countries most affected especially in southeast Asia, Bangladesh is toward the top of the list with evidence pointing to increasing burden of the disease.^4-6

A 2011 study using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data found 9.2% prevalence of diabetes.⁷ The same study showed that among those with diabetes, only 41.2% were aware of their condition, 36.9% were getting treated, and 14.2% were able to control it.⁷ A more recent study using BDHS data for 2017–2018 period found similar prevalence as before.⁶ Additionally, it was shown in that study that 38.5% of those with diabetes were aware of their condition, 35.2% were receiving treatment, and only 30.4% were able to control it.⁶ Important risk factors for diabetes identified for Bangladesh population included low literacy, low income, male gender, increasing age, obesity, and hyptertention.^6-8

While the prevalence of diabetes has remained steady in Bangladesh, it is concerning that the percentage of people with diabetes who are aware of their condition has decreased over time. The percentage of people receiving treatment has not changed significantly but there is a substantial increase in the percentage of those who were able to control their diabetes. This is definitely a positive development but there is still ample work that need to be done to increase the awareness and management of diabetes in Bangladesh.

Appropriate resources need to be allocated to drive awareness and run effective campaigns frequently. Efforts should be made to reach out to those who are more vulnerable such as those with low socioeconomic status, males, those who fall in the older age bracket, and those with obesity and hypertension. Diabetes awareness is an important tool in reducing disease occurrence and ensuring better management for those who have it. It is in the best interest of the country to control diabetes progression since it can lead to increased pressure on the healthcare system and become a significant economic burden.

Reference:

1. Forouhi NG, Wareham NJ. Epidemiology of diabetes. Medicine (Abingdon). 2014;42(12):698-702.
2. Lin X, Xu Y, Pan X, et al. Global, regional, and national burden and trend of diabetes in 195 countries and territories: an analysis from 1990 to 2025. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):14790.
3. International Diabetes Federation, IDF Diabetes Atlas, 9th edition, 2019, https://www.diabetesatlas.org.
4. International Diabetes Federation, IDF Diabetes Atlas, 10th edition, 2021, https://www.diabetesatlas.org.
5. Biswas T, Islam A, Rawal LB, Islam SM. Increasing prevalence of diabetes in Bangladesh: a scoping review. Public Health. 2016;138:4-11.
6. Hossain MB, Khan MN, Oldroyd JC, et al. Prevalence of, and risk factors for, diabetes and prediabetes in Bangladesh: Evidence from the national survey using a multilevel Poisson regression model with a robust variance. medRxiv. 2021:2021.2001.2026.21250519.
7. Rahman MS, Akter S, Abe SK, et al. Awareness, treatment, and control of diabetes in Bangladesh: a nationwide population-based study. PLoS One. 2015;10(2):e0118365.
8. Khan N, Oldroyd JC, Hossain MB, Islam RM. Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Diabetes in Bangladesh: Evidence from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017/18. Int J Clin Pract. 2022;2022:8349160.