Diabetes kills one person every seven seconds

One person dies from diabetes every seven seconds. This is the chilling description of the severe nature of the disease from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). As many as an estimated 366 million people worldwide suffer with diabetes. 

LISBON, PORTUGAL (Catholic Online) - The Federation released their report in advance of a United Nations summit on non-communicable diseases set to take place next week in New York. The figure is an alarming increase from the 300 million cited in 2009.

The aggregate annual death toll is 4.6 million people. 

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Jean Claude Mbanya, president of the IDF said, "We don't want world leaders to forget diabetes, which is a tsunami of the 21st century." He also added that the numbers are probably underestimated since several countries did not have accurate data and their figures had to be estimated. 

The disease, at its current trend, will affect 600 million people in 20 years. Mbanya also noted that annual global spending on diabetes care is $456 billion. 

The IDF hopes to have an impact on the discussion which will take place next week. Non-communicable diseases are major causes of death in the world, and many health care officials would like to see the UN approach those diseases with the same vigor as they approach communicable diseases. 

Many other countries, including Germany, Italy, Japan, China, and Korea, are stepping up research on diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. While many diseases such as HIV, cancer, and autism tend to dominate headlines, particularly in the U.S., people must be reminded that other, far more deadly diseases must compete for research funding. 

The IDF presented their data that the 47th European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting which is scheduled to run through Friday.  

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