WHO says 422 mln adults live with diabetes, mainly from developing countries

The number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries, according to a new report released Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ahead of the World Health Day on April 7, WHO highlighted the need to step up prevention and treatment of diabetes in its first global report on diabetes.

The report documented the number of people living with diabetes with its prevalence growing in all regions of the world. In 2014, 422 million adults had diabetes, compared with 108 million in 1980.

The epidemic of diabetes has major health and socioeconomic impacts, especially in developing countries.

Diabetes caused 1.5 million deaths in 2012. Higher-than-optimal blood glucose caused an additional 2.2 million deaths by increasing the risks of cardiovascular and other diseases, according to the report.

"If we are to make any headway in halting the rise in diabetes, we need to rethink our daily lives: to eat healthily, be physically active, and avoid excessive weight gain," said WHO Director General Margaret Chan.

"Even in the poorest settings, governments must ensure that people are able to make these healthy choices and that health systems are able to diagnose and treat people with diabetes," she noted.

WHO called for expanding health-promoting environments to reduce diabetes risk factors, like physical inactivity and unhealthy diets, and strengthening national capacities to help people with diabetes receive the treatment and care they need to manage their conditions.