The first task is the education of policymakers on the urgent need for action to prevent the looming epidemic of diabetes (Table 4). The WHO, practicing physicians, healthcare workers, civic organizations and academia should take the lead in this regard. Local diabetes organizations could be a rallying point for sensitizing governments to the importance of [...]

Continue reading " Primary Prevention of Type-2 Diabetes: Translation of DPP Results in Developing Countries "

The complications of diabetes are rife among patients in developing countries. Ironically, many of these countries lack the wherewithal for adequate management of target-organ dysfunction. In most of sub-Saharan Africa, renal replacement therapy (either chronic dialysis or transplantation services), laser surgery for retinopathy, invasive cardiology and coronary rescue procedures are not routinely available, even in [...]

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Pattern of Diabetes in Developing Countries
Some unique aspects (Table 2) of the diabetes epidemic in developing countries include: 1) younger age group, 2) female gender preponderance, and 3) rural-to-urban area step-up in diabetes prevalence. In developing countries, the majority of people with diabetes are in the age range of 45-64 years, as compared to aged [...]

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Classification and Pathophysiology of Diabetes
Most cases of diabetes fall into one of two categories, although overlap may occur and the distinction may not always be clear. Type-1 diabetes accounts for <10% of all cases of diabetes, tends to occur in younger subjects and is caused by severe insulin deficiency. The latter results from autoimmune destruction [...]

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Poverty
There are a number of indirect factors, including socioeconomic factors, that contribute to and worsen RTIs in developing countries. Whereas walking and use of public transportation systems provide benefits to health and the environment in industrialized nations, these modes of transport place the poor at risk of RTIs in developing countries owing to the lack [...]

Continue reading " Road Traffic Injuries: Hidden Epidemic in Less Developed Countries. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS "

Despite the bleak outlook, there are examples of effective measures being taken to reduce mortality and morbidity from RTIs in less developed countries. A low-income country that has implemented an effective intervention to decrease speeding and resulting crashes is Ghana. Rumble strips were installed at intervals at the Suhum Junction, a frequent crash site on [...]

Continue reading " Road Traffic Injuries: Hidden Epidemic in Less Developed Countries. CURRENT INTERVENTIONS: SUCCESS STORIES "

RTIs are a cause of public health concern in virtually every country of the world. However, the distribution of mortality and morbidity is highly uneven, with developing countries incurring 85% of all deaths due to traffic crashes, 90% of lost disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and 96% of all child deaths due to RTIs. Estimates of [...]

Continue reading " Road Traffic Injuries: Hidden Epidemic in Less Developed Countries. MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM "