The number of diabetics in Vietnam has doubled compared to 10 years ago.

According to Professor-Doctor Tran Huu Dang, President of the Vietnam Endocrinology and Diabetes Association, in Vietnam, the number of people with diabetes is increasing day by day, the rate of patients has doubled compared to 10 years ago.

Of these, more than half remain undiagnosed, meaning they are not receiving treatment. Of those who are diagnosed and treated, only about one-third achieve their treatment goals...

The most common chronic disease in the world

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world and is rapidly increasing in prevalence and becoming a public health problem of particular concern.

This is one of the leading causes of death today, increasing the medical burden, seriously affecting public health. However, the community's understanding of this "silent killer" is still limited.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, globally, more than one in 10 adults had diabetes in 2021. Countries with more than 20% of the adult population suffering from the disease are also increasing.

Statistics from 2000 to present show that the rate of diabetes in people aged 20 to 79 has more than tripled over the past 15 years; medical costs for diabetes have also tripled.

In Vietnam today, the rate of people with diabetes is increasing rapidly. The disease not only appears in urban areas but also appears in almost all areas from the mountains, midlands to the plains. The disease causes many harmful effects on health, disability, and even death because it is often diagnosed and treated late.

Vietnam currently has about 7 million people with diabetes. Notably, more than 55% of patients have complications, of which 34% are cardiovascular complications; 39.5% have eye complications and neurological complications; 24% have kidney complications. Diabetic patients with complications not only increase medical costs but also reduce the quality of life.

The rate of children with diabetes tends to increase.

In Vietnam, the rate of children with diabetes tends to increase, of which type 1 diabetes accounts for 90%. Data from pediatric hospitals shows that nationwide there are nearly 2,000 children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

According to the Ministry of Health, the higher prevalence of diabetes in children is associated with environmental factors such as urbanization, population density, socio-economic status, latitude or distance from the equator. The factors underlying the geographic differences in the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children are not well understood.

Information from the Ministry of Health also shows that in general, there is no significant difference in the incidence of type 1 diabetes in children by gender. However, boys over 15 years old dominate the incidence of type 1 diabetes.

The incidence of type 1 diabetes in children varies with age, with the most common age of onset being between 10 and 14 years in many populations. In recent years, the age of onset has been decreasing in some countries.

The incidence of type 1 diabetes in children is highest in the fall and winter months. The epidemiology of diabetes in children continues to change, with marked differences between countries and different demographic groups within countries. In Vietnam, there is currently no comprehensive data on the epidemiology of type 1 diabetes.

At the National Children's Hospital, in the past 33 years, 943 children have been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and to date, 586 children under 18 years old are still being treated and managed. The number of children with type 1 diabetes has been increasing nationwide for the past 7 years.

At the National Children's Hospital, from 2017 to 2023, each year there are from 60 to 95 new children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.

Associate Professor, Doctor Tran Minh Dien, President of the Vietnam Pediatric Association, Director of the National Children's Hospital, said that type 1 diabetes, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs in newborns, to any age group and can be detected at any time, however, sometimes there are cases when the disease is detected in a coma, acidosis, and life-threatening situation.

Patients with type 1 diabetes need to be treated with insulin initially in the hospital, then a stable dose will be treated at home. With this disease, the main focus is on monitoring the patient, appropriate treatment to minimize complications.

To enhance standardization and quality in the diagnosis and treatment of type 1 diabetes, based on scientific and technological advances and international recommendations, the Ministry of Health has developed Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents, focusing mainly on clinical practice in the diagnosis and treatment of type 1 diabetes.

According to the Ministry of Health, more than 77% of deaths in Vietnam are related to non-communicable diseases and this rate tends to increase. Along with cardiovascular disease, cancer, COPD, diabetes are diseases in this group.

The Ministry of Health and professional associations, public-private partnerships, and international organizations working on health have been working together, making efforts to communicate and implement many solutions to prevent and control diabetes in order to bring positive and meaningful changes to the lives of millions of diabetes patients in Vietnam.