ISLAMABAD: While over 33 million individuals are living with diabetes, an additional 10 million are pre-diabetic in Pakistan. Around 41 per cent of adults have been classified as overweight or obese. If urgent and decisive policy actions are not taken, projections indicate that the number of diabetes patients in Pakistan could soar to 62 million by 2045.

This was informed during an awareness session, organised for the parliamentarians, to inform them about the alarming surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) across Pakistan.

According to a statement, parliamentarians who attended the briefing included Saad Balouch, Shafqat Awan, retd Brigadier Aslam Ghumman, Ms Ghazala Chitrali, Dr Nelson Azeem, former lawmakers Dr Nisar Cheema and Moazam Ali Khan.

The event was organised by the Pakistan National Heart Association (Panah).

Health and nutrition expert Munawar Hussain said that a key contributor to the escalating health crisis was the consumption of unhealthy diets, particularly ultra-processed food and beverage products, which were often laden with excessive amounts of sugar, salt and trans fats.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2025