Diabetes epidemic in Saudi

The health minister of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Hamad El-Manie, said that diabetes is hitting ‘epic proportions’ in Saudi Arabia and growth rates will wildly exceed previous estimates.
According to a report issued at a diabetes conference, Dr. Hamad Al-Manie commented: “Diabetes is likely to become an epidemic in the kingdom as it has affected nearly 30% of its population.” This trumps the 16.7 per cent prevalence figure quoted in the IDF (International Diabetes Federation) Diabetes Atlas.
According to the report by the health ministry, Saudi Arabia could be one of the top ten global diabetes prevalence hotspots. According to Al-Mani, the disease is spreading throughout the Gulf . Saudi is actively fighting the disease, with healthcare spending exceeding $1.3 billion.