Focus on the high cost of diabetes at OECD meeting

Across OECD countries some 83 million people suffer from diabetes and, on current trends, that will rise to almost 100 million by 2030. Like other chronic diseases, diabetes reduces employment opportunities and earnings. In addition, diabetics are prone to depression, making it difficult to follow treatment guidelines.

Speaking at the European Diabetes Leadership Forum in Copenhagen this week, OECD Deputy Director General Yves Leterme said: “Preventing and treating diabetes and its complications costs about 90 billion euros ($118.87 billion) annually in Europe alone. With health budgets already under great pressure and national budgets severely strained, for the sake of our health and the health of our economies we must find ways to prevent and manage diabetes in a cost-effective manner.”

In the coming 10 years, more than two out of three people will be overweight or obese in some OECD countries. This has an impact on both their salaries and their health - across OECD countries, obese people earn up to 18% less than non-obese people. And they are eight times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. This jumps to 60 times more likely for the severely obese, it was noted.