RIYADH, 28 May — A senior health official has called for launching a comprehensive program to check the spread of diabetes in Saudi Arabia which is spending a whopping SR51 billion annually to fight the disease directly or indirectly. A total of 12.3 percent of Saudi population is suffering from the disease, warranting immediate action.
Dr. Khalid Al-Rubeaan, director of Diabetes Center of Saudi Arabia, told a press conference at the local Marriott Hotel Sunday night that he was seeking “strong backing of the Saudi government to formulate a cost-effective prevention program.” He said the most effective tool to curb diabetes would be to work out a special prevention program instead of setting up huge health facilities.
Dr. Al-Rubeaan was speaking before officially opening a high-profile symposium on diabetes organized by the local chapter of Merch Sharp & Dohme (MSD) pharmaceutical company.
The seminar was attended by a number of prominent figures, including Dr. Yusuf Saleh of the National Guard Hospital, MSD Marketing Director Syed Jamil Akhtar, Dr. Walid Abdul Aziz, Nagi H. Youssef and Walid Hatim.
Dr. Al-Rubeaan also spoke about a study conducted by the diabetes center in cooperation with the MSD with the aim of lessening the financial burden caused by the disease and reducing the rate of mortality in the Kingdom, where diabetic patients alone represent one-third of the total hospital admissions.
Asked about the direct losses for the Kingdom caused by the rising number of diabetics, Dr. Al-Rubeaan said it exceeded SR3.4 billion annually. He said Saudi government faced a challenge in addressing this problem.
“More than 12,000 people die annually because of diabetes compared to only 4,000 reported to be killed in road accidents,” Dr. Al-Rubeaan said, adding that the mortality rates are linked to the worsening health situation because of the disease, the diet, obesity, consanguinity and sedentary life style which is common in urban areas.
In the United States, diabetes is one of the major causes of death among civilians. The US has been spending SR525 billion annually for controlling this disease.
Asked which groups were prone to the disease, he said that “cardiovascular complication in diabetic patients is found to be present substantially”. The hereditory factor is a major cause among 95 percent of the patients.
