Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body cannot produce enough or effectively use insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose from food to enter the body’s cells, where it is converted into energy needed by muscles and tissues to function.
As a result, a person with diabetes does not absorb glucose properly, and glucose stays circulating in the blood (hyperglycemia), damaging tissues over time. This damage leads to life-threatening health complications.
According to the Diabetes Atlas published by the International Diabetic Federation, as of 2024, 589 million adults (20-79 years) are living with diabetes worldwide.
Diabetes imposes a large economic burden on any national healthcare system; estimated figures show healthcare expenditures on diabetes accounted for 11.8% of the total healthcare expenditure in the world in 2025.
About 95% of the countries spend 5% or more of their total healthcare dollars on diabetes. Global health expenditures to prevent and treat diabetes and its complications surpassed $376 billion in 2010, and by 2030, this number will be close to $500bn.
Research results show that there remains a large disparity in healthcare spending on diabetes between regions and countries. More than 80% of the global expenditures on diabetes are made in the world's most economically rich countries, not in the low- and middle-income countries where 80% of people with diabetes live.
Recent studies drew three major conclusions on the overall economic impact of diabetes
First, diabetes imposes a large financial burden on people with diabetes and their families. The size of this burden depends on their economic status and the social insurance policies of the countries in which they live.
Individuals with diabetes and their families in developing countries pay a larger share of the expenditure because of the poorer organized systems of medical care insurance and/or lack of governmental provision of medical services.
In the poorest countries, people with diabetes and their families bear almost the whole cost of whatever medical care they can afford.
Second, at the societal level, diabetes leads to loss in productivity and economic growth. It is estimated that the US economy lost over $100bn as a result of lost earnings due to lost workdays, restricted activity days, lower productivity at work, mortality, and permanent disability caused by diabetes.
Such losses are even larger in poorer countries relative to GDP because premature death due to diabetes occurs at much younger ages.
Finally, the largest economic burden caused by diabetes is the monetary value associated with disability and loss of life as a result of the disease itself and its related complications, including heart, kidney, eye, and foot disease.
Economists have used different methods to value disability and loss of life associated with diseases, and the most appropriate method is still debated. Yet, no matter what method is used, it is very likely the economic burden that is measured by the monetary value associated with this disability and loss of life would be far larger than the estimated economic burden using measures described above.
Most people with diabetes live in less developed regions of the world. Even in the region with the lowest prevalence (Africa), according to the IDF Diabetes Atlas (9th Edition) released for 2019, diabetes was responsible for an estimated 366,200 deaths in the IDF Africa Region.
Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. Every year, more people are diagnosed with diabetes, yet there are still many (more than 50%) people who have diabetes and do not know it. A small survey in Bangladesh indicated that the prevalence of diabetes in Bangladesh in populations aged over 15 years is between 2% and 5%. This type of similarity is also found in most of the underdeveloped countries.
Since diabetes is a life-long and non-episodic disease that affects many other organs of the body, a comprehensive and good pathological support-based treatment is needed to manage it.
Dr Muhammad Abdul Mazid is formerly secretary and chairman, NBR, and National Council Member of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh.
