Diabetes health cost in China and the Western Pacific 2015-2019
Who are in the risk groups of diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes, accounting for about 90 percent of the diabetes cases in China. Obesity or being overweight is the main modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Around 13.6 percent of Chinese adults were obese in 2019, and it was more prevalent among males, according to a national health study. The disease often remains undiagnosed until complications appear. In 2019, the detection rate of prediabetes and diabetes ranged at only 37.4 percent. Another global diabetes report estimated that China had over 65 million people who were potentially at risk from the disease. Diabetes can cause serious health complications when left untreated, posing a bigger threat to pregnant women and the elderly. In 2019, more than 35 million senior citizens in China were diagnosed with the illness, and the number was predicted to increase further.
How much does diabetes cost worldwide?
Diabetes is one of the leading death causes across the globe, causing over four million deaths. In 2019, there were about 824,000 deaths due to diabetes in China. Globally, the healthcare spending on treating diabetes amounted to 760 billion U.S. dollars that year, with the United States, China, and Brazil spending the most. When it comes to the average cost per diabetic patient, Switzerland had the highest amount - 12,000 U.S. dollars, followed by the United States, Norway, and other European countries. In contrast, some Asian and African countries spent less than 100 U.S. dollars per diabetes patient.