WHO report highlights global rise in diabetes cases

Action needs to be taken to address the significant rise in the number of diabetes cases worldwide, according to a new report from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Ahead of World Health Day, the body has released a global report on diabetes, showing that the number of people living with the disease has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries.

As of 2014, 8.5 percent of the world population had diabetes, up from 4.7 percent in 1980. The figures from 2014 indicate that more than one in three adults aged over 18 years were overweight and more than one in 10 were obese, a trend that is increasing diabetes risk.

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.

Dr Margaret Chan, the WHO's director-general, said: "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."

The complications of diabetes can lead to heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and lower limb amputation.