Medical experts and nutritionists, highlighting an alarming increase in diabetes patients in Pakistan, emphasized the importance of minimizing sugar and sweets intake to combat this rising health challenge. During a seminar organized by the Institute of Public Health (IPH) on World Diabetes Day, experts highlighted the risks of diabetes, attributing it to the surge in diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, renal failure, and blindness.
Dean of IPH, Professor Dr. Zarfashan Tahir, expressed concern over the escalating risk, revealing that 32 million Pakistanis are currently grappling with diabetes, serving as a significant precursor to other life-threatening conditions. Dr. Mehreen Farooqi stressed the need for regular blood screenings, particularly for those above 35, to enable early detection and preventive measures against diabetes.
She underscored the efficacy of insulin in treatment and pointed out that 35% of premature deaths in Pakistan are linked to diabetes. The importance of lifestyle changes, daily exercise, and a focus on fitness were emphasized by Dr. Shafa Ali, who also highlighted that taking 500 steps daily can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes. Dr. Mahnaz Nasir Khan advocated a shift in daily habits, emphasizing that one should eat to live, not live to eat. The seminar concluded with a symbolic walk involving Dean, faculty members, doctors, and students. A nutrition camp provided free sugar tests, blood pressure checks, and weight assessments, offering practical insights into the prevention, management, and neces-sary measures for diabetes.
The event aimed to raise public awareness and foster collaborative efforts among medical pro-fessionals to curb the escalating health crisis. Pakistan is currently grappling with a concerning surge in diabetes, with every third of adult Pakistani living with diabetes and the country ranked at the top in diabetes prevalence rate globally. Empirical evidence from Pakistan suggests that unhealthy diets including high consumption of sugar and industrially produced trans-fatty acids (TFA) have become a significant contributor to Pakistans diabetes epidemic. The iTFAs are commonly found in banaspati ghee, cooking oils, bakery ware, deserts, fried street foods and many other ultra-processed foods. The collaborators of the TRANSFORM Pakistan campaign issued a press release on World Diabetes Day to highlight the link between diabetes and iTFA intake. An approximate $2640 million was estimated as the cost of diabetes management in Pakistan in 2021 by the International Diabetes Federation. By 2045, if no immediate policy action is taken, it is projected that 62 mil-lion Pakistanis will be living with diabetes and suffering from its associated complications.
This staggering statistic necessitates immediate action to curb the rising diabetes prevalence, shared Afshar Iqbal, Director of Communications and Advocacy at Pakistan Youth Change Advocates (PYCA). With the aim to regulate the prevalence of industrially produced TFAs in Pakistani dietary sources, PYCA with the support of the Global Advocacy Incubator for Health (GHAI), Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination and in collaboration with other civil society actors such as the Center for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) launched the TRANSFORM Pakistan campaign earlier this year. Under the TRANSFORM Pakistan campaign, we are demanding from the government to adopt best practice policy and placing a mandatory limit of 2gm of iTFAs in every 100 gm of fat in all food items across Pakistan, added Afshar. Munawar Hussain, the In-Country Coordinator for GHAI, pointed out, There is compelling evidence from countries that have effectively regulated trans-fats, suggests that reducing iTFA consumption could help reduce diabetes, heart diseases, stroke and other non-communicable diseases.” Following these footprints, Pakistan can cut down significant numbers of deaths and diseases by reducing the consumption of iTFAs in the diet by introducing best practice policy as per WHO guidelines.
