KARACHI, Nov 15: About five million people are suffering from diabetes mellitus in Pakistan and the number is feared to go up by three times over the next 20 years.

Prof Jamal Raza, paediatric endocrinologist and diabetologist at the National Institute of Child Health, stated this while speaking at a seminar organised by the scientific forum of the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) in connection with the World Diabetes Day, observed on Wednesday. The theme of the seminar was “Diabetes in Children and Adolescents.”

Prof Raza observed that that type-1 diabetes appeared to be more common in children beginning with the classical symptoms of excessive urination, thirst, weight loss. If diabetes patients were not treated promptly, they could develop ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition, he added.

Discussing management of the disease, he said insulin, diet control and exercise were the standard therapy, which could be supplemented with awareness of the disease in patients and their families.

“If parents are well-educated in managing diabetes and later the child is also involved, the metabolic control remains good,” he said, adding that management of the disease in toddlers, schoolchildren and adolescents differed.

Other experts who spoke at the seminar warned that populations in the developing countries could experience an extraordinary surge in the cases of diabetes in the years to come unless appropriate action was taken and concerted efforts made to curb the disease effectively.

Dr Fatema Jawad of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation said it was in December 2006 when the United Nations recognised diabetes as a serious disorder. It impressed upon the member states to evolve and implement strictly the policies aimed at preventing the emergence of the disease and provision of best treatment to diabetes patients, she added.

She described diabetes as a major health concern around the world, and said this was evident from the fact that 194 million or 5.1 per cent adult population was suffering from diabetes. The number could go up by 333 million or 6.3 per cent by 2025, she warned.

The World Health Organisation estimates that a 42 per cent increase in the number of diabetes case may be seen in the developed countries and 170 per cent in developing countries.

Dr Jawad, quoting the WHO report warned that 76 per cent of all diabetes cases would be in developing countries by 2025. She observed the type-2 diabetes in children was often caused by obesity as determined on the basis of some studies which suggested that four to 20 per cent children with diabetes were overweight

Dr Iqbal Memon and Dr Ayesha Mehnaz also spoke at the seminar.