KEY POINTS
- Doctors urge citizens to act on prevention through diet and exercise
- Pakistan tops global ranking with over 34 million adults diabetic
- Lifestyle, obesity and unhealthy diet drive Type II diabetes spread
- Neglected cases risk blindness, kidney failure and amputations
ISLAMABAD: Health experts have warned that Pakistan’s alarming rise to “the world’s highest diabetes prevalence” demands urgent lifestyle changes to prevent further spread, following new global findings from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas.
The latest IDF Atlas shows that 31.4 per cent of Pakistan’s adults — around 34.5 million people — are currently living with diabetes, the highest prevalence in the world. If unchecked, the number could nearly double by 2050. The report highlighted that the majority remain undiagnosed, contributing to the silent progression of complications.
The IDF further noted that Pakistan also has one of the largest proportions of undiagnosed diabetics globally, which increases the risk of premature death from complications. In 2024 alone, more than 200,000 diabetes-related deaths were recorded in Pakistan, highlighting the cost of late diagnosis and poor management.
In comparison, neighbouring India has the second-largest number of diabetics worldwide — about 100 million adults — but its age-adjusted prevalence rate remains lower than Pakistan’s. Bangladesh also faces a growing epidemic, with around 13 million adults living with diabetes, yet again, its prevalence rate trails Pakistan. Experts said the data shows Pakistan’s crisis is not just about numbers but about how quickly the disease has entrenched itself relative to other South Asian nations.
Globally, the IDF estimates that more than 540 million adults are living with diabetes, with the figure expected to surpass 780 million by 2045 if preventive measures are not taken. While countries across Europe and North America face ageing-related increases, the steepest rise is occurring in low- and middle-income regions of Asia and Africa, where lifestyle shifts are accelerating the epidemic.
Professor of Community Medicine, Dr Muhammad Aslam Bajwa, told WE News that the epidemic is largely self-inflicted through sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary habits. “Ninety per cent of Pakistan’s diabetes burden is Type II, which is purely related to lifestyle and directly influenced by obesity and dietary habits,” he explained, adding that excessive reliance on junk food, refined carbohydrates, and fat-rich meals has accelerated the trend.
Dr Bajwa stressed that prevention is possible even in individuals with a genetic predisposition. “It is generally perceived that diabetes is a disease of genetic origin, so we can’t prevent it, which is wrong. Even genetically coded events can be prevented by lifestyle. As someone said: ‘Genetics load the gun but environment pulls the trigger,” he said. The Doctor, maintaining his original community practice throughout his career peak, has advised citizens to monitor blood glucose regularly, exercise daily, and adopt a balanced diet to remain vigilant.
Dietary reform, according to Bajwa, is central. “We must restrict white sugar, carbonated drinks, packaged juices, bakery and fast food products. Wheat flour, rice and other refined carbohydrates should be reduced, while sweet fruits such as grapes, dates, mangoes and honey must also be restricted,” he noted.
He cautioned that untreated diabetes can have devastating outcomes. “Peripheral neuropathy begins with numbness in the feet and hands, leading to unrecognised injuries; retinopathy can cause blindness; and nephropathy gradually destroys kidneys, resulting in dialysis or transplants,” he said.
Highlighting the dangers of sedentary living, Bajwa advised that Pakistan’s urban lifestyles and screen-based routines have minimised physical activity. “We should avoid long sittings, add light exercise to our routine, and even adopt physical commuting such as bicycles,” he urged.
Echoing the same concerns, Subaat Emaan, a final-year medical student at Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), Lahore, said that the trend is rising sharply among young Pakistanis. She attributed it to “sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, obesity, family genetics and the urban environment,” pointing to the role of fried foods, sugary items, stress and poor sleep. “This condition is easily prevented. Just a few modifications in our daily routine can ensure a healthy and stress-free life,” she told this scribe.
Emaan warned that neglected diabetes fuels heart disease, kidney failure, stroke, nerve damage and blindness. “It significantly raises the risk of heart attack in younger people. All of these can be avoided simply by staying vigilant in treatment and lifestyle modification,” she said.
Both experts agreed that sugar and blood pressure are “lifestyle diseases” that often co-exist. “There are just two key rules: monitor them and keep them controlled. A healthy lifestyle can control and even prevent these harms to life,” Dr Bajwa underlined.
The IDF report has projected Pakistan’s diabetes burden to grow to 70 million within 25 years if current practices persist. Experts urged the government to launch public awareness campaigns, tighten regulatory measures around sugary products, and strengthen screening facilities across urban and rural regions to curb the crisis.
