With statistics indicating diabetes to be responsible for almost 95,000 deaths annually nationwide, the Mexican federal government has officially designated the disease as a “National Health Emergency.”
Federal Health Secretary José Narro Robles made the announcement during a visit to Guadalajara on November 14, World Diabetes Day.
“This problem will receive our highest priority, and require increased coordination between the federal and local governments,” he said.
Narro Robles said specific federal funding will be made available to improve the detection and treatment of diabetes.
Heath authorities estimate that 6.5 million Mexicans suffer from diabetes (95 percent type 2), with around half that number unaware of their condition.
According to Miguel Escalante Pulido, head of Endocrinology at the IMSS Centro Medico in Guadalajara, around 70 percent of the 600,000 diabetes patients in Jalisco do not control their glucose levels adequately. Symptoms of high blood sugar include frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger. Serious long-term complications can include heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney failure and damage to the eyes.
Around 34 percent of the Jalisco Health Department (SSJ) budget is spent on treating patients with diabetes or diabetes-related complications.
Studies show that lifestyle changes and small amounts of weight loss can prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes among high-risk adults. Although type 2 diabetes is predominantly diagnosed after the age of 40, it is now being found in all age ranges, including children and adolescents. By 2040, one in ten adults worldwide will have diabetes, according to the WHO.