An alarming seven million adults, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, are estimated to be affected by diabetes in Malaysia by 2025.
This is a worrying trend that will see a diabetes prevalence rate of 31.3 per cent for adults aged 18 and above, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said currently, some 3.6 million Malaysians had the disease, the highest in Asia and one of the highest in the world.
“This exponential increase is significantly within type 2 diabetes, which is largely the result of excess body weight and physical inactivity,” he said at the launch of the 3rd Cambridge-Oxford Sunway Biomedical Symposium entitled “Diabetes: Disarming the Silent Killer”, here, today.
The one-day programme at Sunway Medical Centre brings together world-renowned specialists to discuss the latest trends and developments in acute/general medicine through a blend of plenary lectures and breakout workshops on a wide range of topics.
Dr Dzulkefly said the government was paying serious attention to the problem, as it was becoming a major economic burden on the healthcare system and national economy.
Dr Dzulkefly said although Malaysia had a parallel public and private healthcare system, the majority of treatment for chronic diseases was provided by the public healthcare system, which was heavily subsidised by the government.
“The impact of diabetes on society is substantial as it can impose a large economic burden on people with diabetes and their families in terms of out-of-pocket medical bills, loss of family income associated with disability and premature death, and caring for disabled members.”
Dr Dzulkefly said a macro-economic study done in 2011 showed that diabetes cost the country approximately RM2 billion, potentially representing 13 per cent of the healthcare budget for the year 2011.
“This represents the cost of treating diabetes itself and also that of its complications,” he added.
“The sensitivity analysis reflects that this national cost could be as high as RM3.52 billion.
“If societal costs were included, this cost would be even higher.”
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