National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination Minister Saira Afzal Tarar on Thursday urged concerted efforts to raise public awareness of diabetes.
In a World Diabetes Day message, the minister said that the disease has reached epidemic proportions in the country.
She said that by 2035, more than 12.8 million people will have diabetes in Pakistan, adding that the devastating impact of the disease has affected population in the cities more than it did those in rural communities. Two-thirds of all people with diabetes live in cities.
“We need to develop a lifestyle that includes more activity and healthy diet. There should be no doubt that urban diabetes is an emergency in slow motion, but it is not inevitable.” She said the ministry has established a non-communicable diseases cell to curb diseases like diabetes, heart ailments, and hypertension.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 14th, 2014.
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