Journal of Diabetology (Jan 2021)

Diabetes care during 50 years of Bangladesh

  • Bishwajit Bhowmik,
  • Tasnima Siddiquee,
  • Tareen Ahmed,
  • Faria Afsana,
  • M A Samad,
  • Md Faruque Pathan,
  • Nayla Cristina do Vale Moreira,
  • Abdul Alim,
  • Sarowar Uddin Milon,
  • Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman,
  • Rie Ozaki,
  • Farook Azam Khan,
  • AHM Enayet Hossain,
  • Hajera Mahtab,
  • Akhtar Hussain,
  • A K Azad Khan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/jod.jod_37_21
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 4
pp. 383 – 390

Abstract

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Similar to many other countries around the world, Bangladesh is also suffering from a pandemic of diabetes. It makes the most significant contribution to morbidity and mortality in this country. Despite the high burden of diabetes, health care is still geared toward episodic care. The government has not yet invested substantial efforts into developing a national policy to detect, prevent, and control diabetes. Still, diabetes care is restricted to capital and other big cities. More than 60% of people with diabetes usually sought treatment and advice from private facilities, including the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh. For the past six decades, the Association has been trying to develop a proper organizational framework, health care, educational institutions, rehabilitation facilities for poor people with diabetes, appropriate diabetes prevention, and education programs. To address the pandemic, the country should focus on nationwide diabetes prevention and control programs, such as creating community awareness and changing lifestyle practices through well-designed public health programs. The country also needs public–private partnerships and multi-sectoral approaches to overcome the diabetes burden.

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