A new World Health Organization (WHO) report says the number of Caribbean nationals living with diabetes has tripled since 1980, adding that one in 12 inhabitants live with diabetes in the Americas.
On Wednesday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said diabetes is currently the fourth-leading cause of death in the hemisphere, following heart attacks, strokes and dementia.
The health organization says if current trends continue, experts estimate that nearly 110 million people in the region will have diabetes by 2040.
“The best way to prevent diabetes is for people to follow a healthy diet, avoiding ultra-processed foods and sugary beverages that are high in calories and low in nutrients, and to engage in regular physical activity to help maintain a healthy body weight,” said PAHO’s Dominican-born director Dr. Carissa Etienne.
Preventing diabetes, however, “is not just an individual responsibility,” she said, adding that governments need to adopt effective public policies and measures that help “make the healthy choice the easiest choice to make.”
In 2014, diabetes-related health spending in the countries of the Americas amounted to US$382 billion.
