President of the International Diabetes Federation Calls for Government Focus and Spending on Diabetes and Other

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, May 11 (MARKET WIRE) --
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) today announced that its
President, Professor Martin Silink has called on governments worldwide to
recognize the severe impact of diabetes and other non-communicable
diseases and take immediate action to ameliorate the threat.

Speaking today at the ECOSOC Annual Ministerial Review Regional
Ministerial Meeting on NonCommunicable Diseases in Doha, Qatar on May
10-11, Professor Silink urged governments, the United Nations (UN) and
the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize the impact of
non-communicable diseases including diabetes on global health, and to
include them in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
and development aid programs.

President Silink stated that non-communicable diseases such as diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases
account for 60% of all deaths worldwide, with the majority of these
deaths occurring in low-and middle-income countries(1). Non-communicable
diseases are a major and growing economic burden to individuals and their
families and impose a heavy toll on healthcare systems and society.
Despite the growing disease burden of non-communicable diseases, they
have not been included in the MDGs.

"The global epidemic of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases is
hitting the poorest hardest. Four in five deaths from NCDs now occur in
low and middle-income countries. The low-cost solutions to prevent many
of these deaths are yet to be implemented. Without decisive action, the
NCD burden threatens to undermine the benefits of improving standards of
living, education and economic growth in many countries," said Silink.

"The global diabetes community," Silink added "is waiting for UN Member
States to follow through on the promise of the UN Resolution on diabetes."

In 2006 the United Nations passed UN Resolution 61/225: World Diabetes
Day, which recognized that "diabetes is a chronic, debilitating and
costly disease associated with severe complications, which poses severe
risks for families, Member States and the entire world and serious
challenges to the achievement of internationally agreed development
goals, including the Millennium Development Goals."

Diabetes in the Gulf

The invitation to the International Diabetes Federation's President
recognizes the growing concern about diabetes worldwide and particularly
the staggering impact the disease is having in the Gulf Region, where the
picture is especially alarming. Of the top 10 countries with the highest
prevalence of diabetes, five are in the Gulf. In 2007, the diabetes
prevalence rate in Qatar was 15.2%, 15.2% in Bahrain, 19.5% in the United
Arab Emirates, 15.7% in Saudi Arabia, 14.4% in Kuwait and 13.1% in Oman.
By 2025, these rates will rise respectively to 16.9%, 17%, 21.9%, 18.4%,
16.4% and 14.7%(2).

Recognizing the impact of diabetes in the Region, IDF will hold its 21st
World Diabetes Congress in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2011. The IDF
Congress is organized every two years through seven world regions and is
one the world's largest health conferences. The Federation has committed
to Dubai because progressive urbanization, increased life expectancy and
economic development associated with a shift to unhealthy lifestyle have
resulted in a huge explosion in type 2 diabetes in the Middle East and
North Africa over the last 30 years.

IDF's Commitment to Addressing Non-Communicable Diseases

The Federation is working to raise awareness of the growing diabetes
burden and catalyse political action to reverse the epidemic. The
Federation is also working closely with other NGOs concerned with NCDs.

The International Diabetes Federation will co-host a meeting on May 19 in
parallel to the World Health Assembly to highlight the impact of NCDs on
development. IDF is hosting this meeting with the World Heart Federation
and the International Union Against Cancer to ensure that the NCD message
is heard.

According to the WHO, the global burden of non-communicable diseases
continues to grow; tackling it constitutes one of the major challenges
for development in the 21st century(3).

"It is time to act," said Professor Silink. "It is time for the world to
provide essential medicines for non-communicable diseases like diabetes
in the same way as it has addressed the need to provide essential
medicines and vaccines for communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria."

Note to Editors

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization
of over 200 member associations in more than 160 countries, representing
over 250 million people with diabetes, their families, and their
healthcare providers. The mission of IDF is to promote diabetes care,
prevention and a cure worldwide. Its main activities include education
for people with diabetes and healthcare professionals, public awareness
campaigns and the promotion and exchange of information. IDF is a
non-governmental organization in official relations with WHO and
associated to the United Nations' Department of Public Information. For
more information, please visit www.idf.org.

References

1. 2009-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and
Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization 2008.

2. Diabetes Atlas, 3rd Edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2006.
www.eatlas.idf.org.

3. 2009-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and
Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, World Health Organization 2008, pg.
2.

Contacts:
International Diabetes Federation
Kerrita McClaughlyn
Office: +322 5431639 or Mobile: +32487 530625
media@idf.org
www.idf.org

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