AS we mark World Diabetes Day today, Pakistan faces a troubling question: how many people are living with diabetes without knowing it? The International Diabetes Federation estimates that 34.5m adults in Pakistan have diabetes, including 9.3m who are unaware of their condition. Without timely diagnosis and treatment, the disease can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart, often before symptoms become apparent. The cost extends beyond individual suffering. The federation estimates that diabetes-related healthcare spending in Pakistan reached $2.7bn in 2024, a burden shared by patients and an already strained health system. This figure covers diabetes care overall, but complications that might have been prevented through timely treatment make the case for earlier detection stronger. This year’s World Diabetes Day theme, ‘Early action on diabetes’, therefore carries particular urgency for Pakistan. Testing must not depend on whether patients can afford a private laboratory or reach a specialist.

Some efforts are under way. An early-detection initiative reported screening or assessing more than a million people since 2021, but women accounted for only 18pc of those reached. That imbalance deserves investigation, as does what happens after someone tests positive. Screening figures mean little if patients cannot obtain a confirmed diagnosis, medicines and regular monitoring. Without such care, patients may return only when complications become severe. Provincial health departments should equip primary health centres to identify people at risk and provide affordable testing, referrals and follow-up. Screening programmes must reach women with restricted mobility and communities far from hospitals. Public facilities also need reliable supplies of essential medicines and trained personnel to manage a lifelong condition. Authorities should report not simply how many people were screened but how many were diagnosed and linked to lasting care. Every complication prevented would spare families distress and reduce pressure on health services.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2026