In 2024, global diabetes prevalence has reached an unprecedented level, with an estimated 800 million individuals now affected—a staggering fourfold increase from the 200 million cases recorded in 1990. This escalation, highlighted in a recent study by Zhou et al. (2024) in The Lancet, underscores a rapid rise particularly in low- and middle-income countries across Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America .
The study pooled data from over 1100 representative studies with 141 million participants, identifying both prevalence and the critical gap in diabetes treatment. Despite progress in medical treatments that could reduce diabetes-related complications, the coverage of diabetes treatment remains vastly inadequate, especially in regions with the fastest-growing prevalence. Zhou et al. call for urgent alignment of health services to ensure early detection and effective diabetes management globally .
Citation:
Zhou, B., et al. “Worldwide Trends in Diabetes Prevalence and Treatment from 1990 to 2022: A Pooled Analysis of 1108 Population-Representative Studies.” The Lancet, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)02317-1
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