BANGKOK, 9 November 2013 Around 3.5 million people in Thailand are suffering from diabetes, whereas the number of patients with diabetes around the world is reported to be as many as 371 million people.
Diabetes, according to Public Health Minister Dr. Pradit Sintavanarong, is a silent threat to all Thais and people around the world. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has reported that around 371 million people around the world have the disease and the number seems to be rising, as the IDF expects the number to reach 552 million by the year 2030, with 80 percent of those patients living in underdeveloped and developing countries.
As for the situation Thailand, Minister Pradit disclosed the results of latest survey conducted on people aged 15 and over, saying around 3.5 million Thais are suffering from the disease, while the diabetes-related death rate in Thailand each year accounts for 8,000 people. The minister also expected the number of patients in the country to top 4.7 million in 8 years’ time.
Dr. Pradit further said that one-third of the patients in Thailand, or around 1.2 million, do not realize they have the disease. Therefore, the Public Health Ministry will provide a free health checkup in all areas across the country next year, he added.
