Measuring the global burden of diabetes: implications for health policy, practice, and research

Over the past two decades, global health practitioners and researchers have put forth evidence-based guidance on how to respond to the growing threat from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors. 1 WHOGlobal action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013–2020. World Health Organization, Geneva2013 Google Scholar Many goals and targets have been set, but few countries are on track to meet them, and measurement has proven challenging. 2 Watkins DA Msemburi WT Pickersgill SJ et al. NCD Countdown 2030: efficient pathways and strategic investments to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4 in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet. 2022; 399: 1266-1278 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (30) Google Scholar The Lancet Commission on Diabetes 3 Chan JCN Lim LL Wareham NJ et al. The Lancet Commission on diabetes: using data to transform diabetes care and patient lives. Lancet. 2021; 396: 2019-2082 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (211) Google Scholar and the Global Diabetes Compact 4 Gregg EW Buckley J Ali MK et al. Improving health outcomes of people with diabetes: target setting for the WHO Global Diabetes Compact. Lancet. 2023; 401: 1302-1312 Summary Full Text Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (3) Google Scholar sought to elevate the status of diabetes within the NCD agenda and provide focused recommendations and targets, respectively. Global, regional, and national burden of diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with projections of prevalence to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021Diabetes remains a substantial public health issue. Type 2 diabetes, which makes up the bulk of diabetes cases, is largely preventable and, in some cases, potentially reversible if identified and managed early in the disease course. However, all evidence indicates that diabetes prevalence is increasing worldwide, primarily due to a rise in obesity caused by multiple factors. Preventing and controlling type 2 diabetes remains an ongoing challenge. It is essential to better understand disparities in risk factor profiles and diabetes burden across populations, to inform strategies to successfully control diabetes risk factors within the context of multiple and complex drivers. Full-Text PDF Open Access