Assignment- PUB 655- TOPIC 4- Social Determinants of Global Health and Health Equity Infographi

Assignment- PUB 655- TOPIC 4- Social Determinants of Global Health and Health Equity Infographi

Part 2: Diabetes in Pakistan

In contemporary times diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in low and middle-income countries. Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects how an individual’s body converts food into energy. After consuming food, it’s usually broken down into glucose and released into the bloodstream. A rise in blood sugar in the bloodstream signals the pancreas to release insulin (Aamir et al., 2019). Insulin acts as a catalyst allowing blood sugar into the body cells to be utilized as energy. Individuals with diabetes do not make enough insulin or have insulin resistance which makes it difficult for their body to use insulin as it should. The causes of diabetes include an inactive lifestyle and obesity (Aamir et al., 2019).

In Pakistan, which is a low-income country, the prevalence of diabetes is estimated to be at least 17.1%, with over 19 million adults living with diabetes. The significant proportion of adults with diabetes in Pakistan places them at risk of life-threatening complications, including premature deaths as a result of cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, damage to major organs such as eyes and kidneys and stroke, among others. In Pakistan, the main contributors to the rising prevalence of diabetes include dietary habits, lack of exercise and rising obesity (Adnan & Aasim, 2020).

The high prevalence of diabetes in low-income countries such as Pakistan should be addressed because of the significant adverse effects that high prevalence of such a health condition has on the general population including, economic loss due to low productivity in the affected population, premature deaths, higher healthcare costs (Akhtar et al., 2019).

Social and economic income inequalities have a significant effect on how diabetes is addressed in that diabetes is a lifestyle condition mainly caused by dietary habits and lack of exercise. Low-income communities might not be able to afford a more healthy diet made up of fruits and vegetables and might not perform physical exercises so as to prevent themselves from diabetes or improve their quality of life if already affected by diabetes(Aamir et al., 2019).

References

Aamir, A. H., Ul-Haq, Z., Mahar, S. A., Qureshi, F. M., Ahmad, I., Jawa, A., Sheikh, A., Raza, A., Fazid, S., Jadoon, Z., Ishtiaq, O., Safdar, N., Afridi, H., & Heald, A. H. (2019). Diabetes Prevalence Survey of Pakistan (DPS-PAK): prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes using HbA1c: a population-based survey from Pakistan. BMJ Open, 9(2), e025300. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025300

Adnan, M., & Aasim, M. (2020). Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Adult Population of Pakistan: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cross-Sectional Surveys. Annals of Global Health, 86(1). https://doi.org/10.5334/aogh.2679

Akhtar, S., Nasir, J. A., Abbas, T., & Sarwar, A. (2019). Diabetes in Pakistan: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 35(4). https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.4.194