KARACHI: In Pakistan every year twelve thousand diabetes patients suffer problem of Retinopathy and more than a hundred patients have to get their foot cut due to diabetes and its related complications.

Early diagnosis can prevent the long term complication of diabetes, said leading Diabetelogists on Sunday at 3-day Second International Conference on Diabetes that kicked off on Dec. 10, at DMC Campus, Karachi.

The 2nd International Conference on Diabetes 2011 has been organized by Dow University of Health Sciences in collaboration with Diabetic Association of Pakistan. The Conference aims to showcase a use blend of academic research, seminar, hand-on- training and free papers and poster session. Leading Physicians and Diabetologists from Pakistan and abroad attended the Conference.

The inaugural ceremony of the conference was held at a local hotel in Karachi in which International Diabetes Federation President-Elect Sir Michael Hirst was the Chief Guest.

Sir Michael Hirst, President-Elect, International Diabetes Federation sharing his views on the occasion said that more than 300 million people have diabetes; representing 6 per cent of the worlds adult population, with numbers increasing fast everywhere. An additional seven million people develop the disease each year. By 2025, IDF estimates that 380 million people will have diabetes, with the greatest burden falling on low and middle-income countries.

Diabetes is causing premature deaths in both children and adults, and devastating complications including amputations, kidney and heart disease. The cost of diabetes is challenging health systems even in the wealthiest countries.

International Diabetes Federation has been effective in raising awareness of and providing the evidence on diabetes. In December 2006, the worlds governments unanimously passed a United Nations Resolution on diabetes, recognizing that diabetes is a chronic, debilitating and costly disease and agreeing to act on diabetes prevention, treatment and care.

That Resolution was spearheaded by the International Diabetes Federation and is the mandate for the Federations Strategic Plan 2010-2012 and beyond.

International Diabetes Federation plans to increase its funding and to expand strategic alliances with governments, industry, civil society and international organizations to carry forward our mission.

The federation strategic goal is to drive change at all levels, from local to global, to prevent diabetes and increase access to essential medicines and to develop and encourage best practice in diabetes policy, management and education. He stressed on developing tools to disseminate relevant information on diabetes treatment, management and prevention.

Prof. Masood Hameed Khan, Vice Chancellor-DUHS and Chairman of the Conference in his address said that in Pakistan we have diseases burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases. Diabetes, being the most widespread metabolic disorder has remained the focus of innumerable researches, investigations and studies across the world. Proper control of diabetes could prevent or delay the long-term complications.

Health-care providers could play a significant role in preventing the disease from turning a patients life miserable. He stressed the need for concerted and coordinated efforts towards preventing of diabetes and minimizing the consequences of the disease at patient, community and government levels.

Prof. A. Samad Shera, Director, Diabetes Association of Pakistan (DAP) and Patron of the Conference gave a brief introduction of the Conference. He further said that in Pakistan 10 per cent of younger population has Diabetes with a large number of increasing in next few years.

Female diabetes cases are often reported. Comparison shows that, female are more affected by diabetes then men with a ratio of 51 per cent of female and 49 per cent of male.

Shera further revealed that due to its complications, the diabetes death ratio is more in females. Studies revealed that 53000 female whereas 26000 female die every year due to diabetes and its related complications. The complication of diabetes includes kidney failure, heart problem and eye sight problem.

He said that the International Conference will help exchange experiences with the experts will provide impetus to increase the research efforts at all levels-clinical, laboratory and operational. Such deliberations will also pave the way for improving and strengthening the diabetes health care.

Prof. Zaman Shaikh, Director-National Institute of Diabetes & Endocrinology and Secretary General of the Conference sharing his views on the occasion said that that in Pakistan every year about twelve thousand diabetes patients cause problem Retinopathy.

More than a hundred of patients have to do foot surgery due to diabetes. In Pakistan, the situation is alarming and with a current diabetic population of 7.1 million, we rank 7th in the world in terms of having number of people with diabetes.