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Diabetes in the Middle East: Government Health Care Policies and Strategies that Address the Growing Diabetes Prevalence in the Middle East

  • Economics and Policy in Diabetes (AA Baig and N Laiteerapong, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of review

Diabetes is a primary public health concern and a challenge for health decision makers in this century. Though the number of people with diabetes is increasing all over the globe, the very high prevalence of diabetes in many Middle East countries has made this region one of the global diabetes hot spots. Due to rapid socioeconomic growth, lifestyle changes and increasing obesity prevalence, the number of people with diabetes is expected to double by 2045 in this region. This high prevalence of diabetes imposes a substantial socioeconomic impact on the individual and governments in this region. The governments in the Middle East have devised many policies, programs, and strategies to address the growing prevalence of diabetes. In this article, we aim to review such policies, programs, and the magnitude of diabetes in this part of the world.

Recent findings

Faced with a challenge on a high scale, most governments in the Middle East are making progress in responding to diabetes.

Summary

Diabetes is a chronic and costly disease; however, it can be prevented. The alarm of the rising tide of diabetes has not yet been successfully translated into action in the Middle East. The governments in the region need to devise more intense, broader policies and preventive measure programs based on local sociocultural practices to effectively combat the situation. Further improvements of the primary health care system and cross-governmental approaches are needed in the region to keep the growing epidemic of diabetes under control.

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  1. National Diabetes and Endocrine Centre, Royal Hospital, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

    Noor Al Busaidi, Prakash Shanmugam & Deepa Manoharan

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  1. Noor Al Busaidi
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Al Busaidi, N., Shanmugam, P. & Manoharan, D. Diabetes in the Middle East: Government Health Care Policies and Strategies that Address the Growing Diabetes Prevalence in the Middle East. Curr Diab Rep 19, 8 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-019-1125-6

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