Diabetes Alert: Pakistan Faces World’s Highest Prevalence as WHO Urges Immediate Nationwide Action on World Diabetes Day
Nadeem Tanoli
ISLAMABAD – Pakistan received a stark warning on World Diabetes Day as the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that diabetes now afflicts an estimated 34.5 million adults in the country nearly one in every three. With the highest prevalence rate in the world, Pakistan alone accounts for more than 40 per cent of all diabetes cases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, underscoring what health experts describe as a “silent national emergency.”
In response to the spiraling crisis, WHO and Pakistan’s Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination have launched an intensified nationwide campaign offering free diabetes screening across public hospitals and clinics. The drive aims to detect cases early and prevent severe complications such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and lower-limb amputations consequences that experts warn are rising rapidly as undiagnosed diabetes spreads unchecked.
WHO estimates that four in ten people with diabetes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region do not know they have the disease, a gap that leaves millions vulnerable to irreversible, preventable harm. Pakistan’s own health profile shaped by rapid urbanisation, increasingly sedentary lifestyles, and unhealthy dietary patterns has accelerated the surge.
Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal issued a public call for urgent action.
“Today we observe World Diabetes Day to highlight the rising burden of diabetes in Pakistan. Through the Prime Minister’s Diabetes Programme, we are promoting early detection, free screening, and healthier lifestyles. I urge all citizens to know their risk, get tested, and take simple steps like healthy eating and physical activity,” he said, thanking partners and the media for amplifying the life-saving message.
WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr Luo Dapeng, reinforced the warning.
“Diabetes is a silent killer, but we can all do our part to protect ourselves and our families by adopting a healthy lifestyle and regular medical checkups. Prevention is the best cure, and WHO will stand with Pakistan and its people to combat a disease that can be prevented or minimised through early detection and timely treatment,” he said.
The global picture is equally sobering. According to WHO, adult diabetes cases have quadrupled rising from about 200 million in 1990 to 830 million in 2022 with low and middle-income countries like Pakistan bearing the heaviest burden. Projections warn that cases could soar to 1.3 billion worldwide by 2050 if current trends continue.
Despite the alarming trajectory, health experts insist that there is still hope. Type 2 diabetes which accounts for the vast majority of cases is largely preventable. WHO recommends simple but effective measures: balanced diets low in sugars, at least 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, routine screenings (especially for high-risk individuals), adherence to medical treatment, and avoiding tobacco and excessive sugar consumption.
As screening camps operate across cities from Karachi to Lahore and Peshawar, policymakers and health partners emphasise a single message: awareness saves lives. Pakistanis are urged to get screened, understand their risks, and adopt healthier habits to curb the country’s growing diabetes crisis.
