The prevalence of diabetes in the country is anticipated to have increased by 1.5 percent since 2012, according to a senior official.
A 2012 survey found the prevalence of diabetes to be 16.7 percent, which was similar to the prevalence rate in 2008.
“We believe that the diabetes prevalence rate must have gone up now by another 1 percent to 1.5 percent from the 16.7 percent in 2012,” said Dr Abdulla Al Hamaq, Managing Director of Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA).
However, a new survey expected to be undertaken in 2017 will give the updated figures, he added. QDA’s first national survey on diabetes in Qatar was conducted in 1999 and showed a prevalence rate of about 15 percent. In 2008, in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), QDA conducted a second diabetes survey, which revealed an increase in the prevalence rate to 16.7 percent. The 2012 survey was conducted by Ministry of Public Health.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, there were 239,100 cases of diabetes in Qatar in 2015.
Lifestyle factors are largely responsible for the increase in diabetes in Qatar as well as the region. Also according to a report by Ministry of Public Health, in 2015 about 5.8 percent of Qatar’s population was considered pre-diabetic and nearly 10 percent of pregnant women in the country had diabetes. It is also estimated that one third of diabetics are not aware of their disease.
Pre-diabetes occurs as a result of a build-up of sugar in the blood and leads to Type 2 diabetes, a direct effect of the body’s blood sugar staying too high for too long.
According to the report, over 70 percent of the population in Qatar is overweight and obese, and raising community awareness of healthy lifestyle practices can be a vital strategy for reducing the incidence of Type 2 diabetes.
