There is no study to determine the actual number of the patients of the non-communicable diseases like diabetes in Bangladesh, experts said at a programme on Saturday.
The non-communicable disease (NCD) is spreading fast with rapid unplanned urbanisation, changed lifestyle and lack of physical exercise, they cited.
There is also a sheer lack of treatment facilities, adequate physicians and public awareness regarding the deadly lifelong disease which requires treatment alongside counselling.
Around 0.1 million people die every year due to diabetic and related complications in Bangladesh.
Globally, 50 million are diabetics, making it more than the combined number of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
The speakers said there is no cure for the type-1 diabetic except for organ transplant. The number of such diabetic patients is less than the total patients.
They suggested that the government provide free insulin for type-1 patients which will cost only Tk 500 million a year.
They were speaking at a workshop styled the 'Role of Media in Creating Health Awareness and Education to Support SDG'.
Bangladesh Health Reporter's Forum (BHRF) and Directorate General of Drug Administration (DGDA) co-hosted the event supported by Novo Nordisk.
DGDA director general Maj Gen Md Mahbubur Rahman was present as the chief guest while of Diabetic Association of Bangladesh president Prof AK Azad Khan as the speaker.
BHRF president Toufiq Maruf made an address of welcome while Novo Nordisk managing director Anand Shetty made a presentation on the activities of his company here.
An International Diabetic Federation data shows there are about 7.0 million diabetic cases in Bangladesh.
As many as 57 per cent of the patients do not know they have had the disease.
An estimated 97,641 deaths were attributed to diabetes in 2017 while someone dies from diabetes in every eight seconds.
Currently, there are 2,300 children enrolled with type-1 diabetes in Bangladesh.
Mr Khan said the number of type-1 diabetes patients is less than 5.0 per cent in Bangladesh. There is no cure for type-1 diabetes for which insulin is the only solution.
It is a constitutional obligation of the government to provide free insulin for the type 1 diabetic patients that may cost only Tk 500 million annually, he added.
Mr Khan said the actual number of diabetic patients is still unknown, but the number is higher in urban areas.
"…People are being affected with diabetic due to lifestyle, unplanned urbanisation, less physical activities and obesity," he added.
For high population density and congestion in Dhaka, he said, there is no space for walking which is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and checking diabetes.
It is better for a diabetic to take medicine and maintain a disciplined life, Mr Khan said, adding that 70 per cent cases are primarily preventable.
If sugar level is above 10 points two hours after taking meal, it is diabetes. If it is over seven points during fasting, it is considered as diabetes, he said.
At the event, Mr Rahman said DGDA has been working to ensure safety, efficacy and quality of drugs for the interest of people.
DGDA will advocate for providing insulin to the type 1 diabetic patients, he added.
Mr Shetty said increased awareness, education and diagnosis are required for facing the challenges of NCDs like diabetes.
In the next one year, he said, Bangladesh will produce all the drugs that are now produced in Denmark.
Various sources said lack of awareness and inadequate doctors and treatment facilities pose a serious challenge for Bangladesh to prevent and control the pandemic.
People who are diagnosed with diabetic do not get enough time and counseling as per requirement.
If the other undetected patients start coming to the hospitals and diabetic centres, the situation will be worse as there are few endocrinologists here.
BADAS has trained 15000 physicians of all branches on the basic diabetic management through a distant learning programme. But all of them do not provide treatment for the diabetic patients.
Novo Nordisk head of commercial affairs Md Tanbir Sajib gave a vote of thanks.
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