Diabetes in Russia
The situation
In Russia, the care of diabetes is managed through local hospitals. Doctors are hindered by inadequate supplies and lack of materials in order to treat the problem. Strip provision is low, and in many cases blood testing two or three times a week is the norm.
Strips are for sale in Moscow and other large cities, but the cost is disproportionate to salaries. Furthermore, foot complications and the risk of amputation are enormous in Russia.
It is thought that Russia may place as high as third in the register of countries with the highest number of diabetics in the world, with an estimated 9,613,000 cases.
However, the disease is thought to be undiagnosed in as many as fifty per cent of cases. The lack of management by undiagnosed patients is a major contributing factor to the number of amputations per year. The awareness of the danger of diabetic foot ulcers is simply not there.
Sources of information:
- http://www.diabet.ru/ Diabetes in Russia (In Russian)
- http://www.idf.org/home/index.cfm?node=1423 IDF diabetes in Russia
- Please take a moment to look at the diabetes.co.uk forum, an online discussion board for the Russian diabetic community: Russia forum
