MINSK, 14 November (BelTA) – As of 1 January 2019, a total of 335,898 people in Belarus were diagnosed with diabetes, Professor of the Endocrinology Department of the Belarusian State Medical University, Chairperson of the Belarusian public healthcare association Endocrinology and Metabolism Alla Shepelkevich told BelTA.
An estimated 17,840 people have Type 1 diabetes, a total of 314,976 people – Type 2 diabetes, 438 people – gestational and 2,648 – other types of diabetes.
Belarus' strategy to treat people with diabetes is based on international documents in the area of diabetes. Patients are provided with insulin and diabetes medications free of charge. The continuous glucose monitoring method (CGMS) was introduced to optimize diabetes treatment. All oblast endocrinologic units have been provided with such systems under the national demographic program. Patients are provided with all necessary devices to inject insulin and self-monitor blood glucose (test strips, glucose meters).
Patients with Type 1 diabetes require systematic training in self-control, assessment of risk factors and progression of chronic diabetes complications. The introduction of new diagnostic and treatment technologies provides for an opportunity to significantly reduce the risk of chronic complications, which prolongs and improves the quality of life of this category of patients.
One of the priorities of modern diabetology is to educate patients at the School of Diabetes. Today, there are 226 such schools in the country. More than 39,000 people attended them in 2018.
World Diabetes Day is marked throughout the world on 14 November. Belarus marks it at the initiative of the Healthcare Ministry taking into account the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The goal of World Diabetes Day is to raise public awareness of diabetes and related complications.
According to IDF data, some 20 years ago there were no more than 30 million people diagnosed with diabetes worldwide. Today, the number of people with diabetes is 370 million. By 2025 this number is expected to reach 550 million. 40 to 80% of people with this diagnosis in different countries do not realize the seriousness of this disease and often do not receive adequate treatment that prevents the development of irreversible complications.
