The published findings highlight the need for immediate global action to address this epidemic, the UN health agency said.
The study was carried out by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC), a worldwide network of 1,500 researchers and practitioners in collaboration with the WHO.
It is the first global analysis of trends in both diabetes rates and treatment coverage based on data from 140 million people worldwide aged 18 or older.
The analysis showed a doubling of diabetes cases from seven to 14 percent between 1990 and 2022, with nearly 450 million adults – 60 percent of those affected – remaining untreated. This emergency particularly affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 90% of untreated cases are localized.
“We have seen an alarming increase in diabetes over the past three decades, reflecting the rise in obesity, exacerbated by the effects of the marketing of unhealthy food, lack of physical activity and economic hardship,” warned WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Regional challenges
Southeast Asia and the eastern Mediterranean regions face the greatest burden, with approximately 20 percent of adults affected.
These regions, along with Africa, report the lowest treatment rates, with fewer than four in 10 diabetics taking glucose-lowering medications.
In response to these challenges, WHO is launching a new global monitoring framework that focuses on key indicators, including glycemic control and access to essential medicines.
This product represents a crucial step in the global response and provides comprehensive guidance to countries measuring and evaluating diabetes prevention, care, outcomes and impacts.
This initiative complements the 2021 Global Diabetes Compact, which aims to ensure equal access to comprehensive care. The framework represents a crucial step in the standardization of diabetes prevention and treatment methods across different health systems worldwide, WHO said.
Way forward
“To bring the global diabetes epidemic under control, countries must act urgently,” Tedros stressed.
“This starts with adopting policies that support healthy diets and physical activity, and most importantly, health systems that provide prevention, early detection and treatment,” he added.
WHO has set ambitious targets, including 80 percent of diagnosed diabetes patients achieving good glycemic control by 2030. This goal forms a broader strategy to address the root causes of the epidemic while improving access to essential treatments.
