Diabetes causes a huge economic burden on the world and threatens healthcare systems.
Diabetes is costing the global economy staggering figures.
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects one in ten adults worldwide, and the number of those affected is constantly increasing, which is multiplying the pressures on economies and public health systems.
A new study has revealed the global and national economic costs of diabetes and offered recommendations to alleviate this burden.
A research team from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna) conducted a comprehensive study covering 204 countries for the period from 2020 to 2050, to calculate the economic impact of diabetes.
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Researchers found that global costs, excluding informal family-based care, amount to approximately $10 trillion, or 0.2% of annual global GDP. When informal care is included, costs rise to $152 trillion, or 1.7% of GDP—a figure that underscores the significant economic impact of the disease.
Klaus Breitner, an economist at the University of Vienna and one of the study's authors, explained that "caregivers often partially withdraw from the labor market, adding extra economic costs."
The high rate of informal care, which accounts for between 85% and 90% of the total economic burden, is due to the fact that the disease's prevalence is 30 to 50 times higher than its mortality rate. Although diabetes is more common in low-income countries, the United States bears the highest absolute costs, followed by China and India.
Michael Kuhn, acting head of the Economic Frontiers Research Group at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, adds: “These rankings reflect the size of economies in terms of GDP and population, but it is noteworthy that the Czech Republic bears the highest burden as a percentage of GDP, at 0.5%, followed by the United States and Germany at 0.4%. Ireland, Monaco and Bermuda face the greatest economic burdens per capita, at $18,000, $12,000 and $8,000 respectively.”
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The distribution of the economic burden of diabetes differs between high-income and low-income countries; treatment costs constitute 41% of the economic burden in high-income countries compared to only 14% in low-income countries.
Diabetes and COVID-19
Diabetes has proven to be a major risk factor for death from COVID-19. A side effect analysis by researchers showed that the economic burden of diabetes increases when accounting for the effects of COVID-19, rising from 0.16% to 0.22% of GDP in China, from 0.4% to 0.65% in the United States, and from 0.4% to 0.45% in Germany.
Urgent action is needed
Researchers indicate that diabetes imposes a greater economic burden than some other chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's, dementia, and cancer. They emphasized that the best way to reduce this burden is to encourage healthy lifestyles, including regular physical activity and a balanced diet, as these significantly lower the risk of developing the disease.
Early detection also plays a pivotal role, through comprehensive screening programs for the entire population, along with rapid diagnosis and immediate treatment for those who show symptoms or risk factors for diabetes, thus reducing health and economic repercussions.
The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
