Pakistan is beginning to take action to respond to the challenge of diabetes but progress needs to be made on a national plan and preventive policies, as well as monitoring and surveillance. The Member Association reports that diabetes and NCD services are insufficient due to budget restraints and inadequate distribution of funding.
A NCD plan is in development with the support of IDF and a diabetes plan exists but needs to be implemented; previous national plans have not been implemented. There is some cross Government discussion of NCD policies and those on nutrition, production of and access to healthy food and regulation of marketing to children are in development
The health system provides – but not universally – services for diabetes treatment and prevention of secondary complications. Less than 50% of costs are covered and there is limited availability of self-management education. Specialised services are provided for women and rural poor but no services for prevention and early diagnosis.
One in two adults with diabetes worldwide is undiagnosed and untreated because he/she stays asymptomatic till complications set in.
South Asians, including Pakistanis, are at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes compared with Caucasians, and typically develop the disease up to a decade earlier and at a lower weight.
Terminal Shortfall
Only 31.1% of people with diabetes in urban areas and 30.8% in rural areas have well-controlled diabetes, reported researchers in the journal, Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics.