Bilecik Provincial Health Director Dr. Ferhat Damkacı said that 382 million people in the world and more than 10 million people in Turkey have diabetes and said, “If not intervened, it is estimated that the number in our country will reach 12 million in 2035.”
Dr. Damkacı said that World Diabetes Day is the world's largest diabetes awareness campaign, reaching more than 1 billion people in more than 160 countries and said, “More than 90 percent of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes caused by socioeconomic, demographic, environmental and genetic factors. The main factors contributing to the increase in type 2 diabetes are urbanization, an aging population, decreasing levels of physical activity, wrong eating habits, overweight and increasing prevalence of obesity. However, it is possible to reduce the impact of diabetes by taking preventive measures for type 2 diabetes and providing early detection and appropriate care for all types of diabetes. These measures can help people living with the condition avoid or delay complications. In 2021, diabetes worldwide will affect approximately 537 million adults (aged 20-79 years) living with diabetes. The total number of people with diabetes is projected to increase to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045. 3 out of 4 adults with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries.”
Bilecik Provincial Health Director Dr. Ferhat Damkacı explained that diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide, creating a great burden on health systems and societies, and continued his words as follows;
“More than 60 million people in Europe live with diabetes and 32 million of them are in the European Union. More than 60 million people in the European Union also live with cardiovascular diseases. Improving the prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases, and public health in general, requires a cross-cutting and whole-of-policy health approach to address modifiable behavioral risk factors as well as external factors such as air pollution, other environmental stressors and the built environment, all of which are also common risk factors in non-communicable diseases. Within the Ministry of Health, work has been carried out in previous years with a programmatic approach to tackling diabetes. In order to effectively combat diabetes, 5 objectives have been identified to be achieved. These objectives are to develop and implement policies for effective diabetes management, to ensure prevention and early diagnosis of diabetes, to ensure effective treatment of diabetes and its complications, to improve diabetes care and treatment in childhood, to prevent Type 2 diabetes and obesity, and to effectively monitor and evaluate diabetes and diabetes program. Strategies and concrete actions are proposed to achieve each objective. The Turkish Diabetes Program is also supported by the 'Healthy Nutrition and Active Life Program', which aims to prevent obesity, the most important risk factor for diabetes. Our programs are carried out with determination together with our Ministry and relevant stakeholders.”
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