10 countries with the lowest rates of diabetes

The lowest incidence rates of diabetes among the adult population are found in Africa and the CIS countries. However, statistics cannot be fully relied on.

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder with critically high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia). The reason for this is insufficient production of insulin or insensitivity to this hormone, which delivers glucose from the blood to the cells of the body. High blood sugar can lead to consequences such as organ failure, blindness, paralysis, neuropathy, coma, and even death.

Stress, an inactive lifestyle, unbalanced and high-calorie diets, and obesity can affect the human body's ability to produce insulin, as well as its sensitivity to various methods of lowering blood sugar levels. The pervasiveness of sedentary lifestyles and obesity have made diabetes now a global problem.

Despite the current low incidence of diabetes in the world, it may increase in the future. Moreover, the lack of diagnostic methods may mean that in fact the number of diseases is much higher, and the inaccessibility of medical services and their high cost lead to dire consequences for patients.

10. Angola (2.6%)

Many peoples in Africa are developing rapidly, both economically and socially, but medical services often lag behind in terms of quality. Diabetes is relatively rare in Angola, for example, but lifestyle changes are likely to increase the number of people suffering from this chronic condition.

People will increasingly become sedentary and eat more processed foods, which are high in calories, sugar, and trans fats in large servings. In Angola, diabetes is more common in the population aged 60 and over.

9.Ukraine (2.6%)

The number of people with diabetes in Ukraine has grown by 10% over the past decade, but remains relatively low overall. Ukraine suffers from widespread government corruption that even affects the health sector.

It is often virtually impossible for low-income Ukrainians to get treatment or buy medicines because they simply cannot afford them. Moreover, some people are not even able to pay for the examination in order to diagnose the disease.

8. Armenia (2.6%)

Diabetes treatment in Armenia is a complex process, as there are endocrinologists in only a few cities, where it is very difficult for rural residents to reach. The cost of treatment is too high for most Armenians. In Armenia, people with diabetes are assigned a disability, so they find themselves in some isolation from society.

7. Albania (2.6%)

Albanians have also started to lead a more sedentary lifestyle, in part due to the increase in the number of cars after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. At the same time, little information is available about the cases of diabetes among Albanians, and scientists do not know how much the area of its distribution has changed over the past few decades.

6.Azerbaijan (2.6%)

90% of diabetes cases in Azerbaijan belong to the second type, which is usually formed under the influence of a certain lifestyle. Type 2 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed in people over 40, while type 1 diabetes is more common in the younger population.

In 2013, the Azerbaijani government increased funding for the treatment of chronic diseases, including diabetes, almost 3 times.

5. Georgia (2.6%)

The number of young people with diabetes in Georgia is higher than the global average, although the disease is less common among adults. The Georgian government is considered authoritarian, and the political situation in the country remains unstable even in comparison with the situation after the collapse of the USSR. For this reason, the government has neither the time nor the money to deal with diabetes care.

4. Moldova (2.5%)

There are many people with tuberculosis in Moldova, and even the relatively low incidence of diabetes exacerbates the situation, as people who have diabetes are more at risk of contracting tuberculosis.

As in many developing countries, people do not have enough information about diabetes, so it is difficult to diagnose it in many Moldovans. The World Health Organization is trying to help solve this problem because the Moldovan government provides little support to its citizens with the disease.

3. Gambia (2.0%)

As in other countries in Africa, diabetes in The Gambia is especially dangerous because many people do not know they are sick and therefore do not receive adequate treatment. This can lead to other illnesses and side effects such as heart attacks, blindness, and loss of limbs.

The Gambia has also seen an increase in the number of obese patients over the past few years, which could increase the incidence of diabetes in the next few years.

2. Mali (1.6%)

As one of the poorest countries in Africa, Mali faces challenges in treating its people with diabetes. There are only 4 doctors in the country who are qualified to treat diabetes, and the price of insulin is incredibly high and relatively rare. Most Mali simply cannot afford it.

The lack of information on the prevention and treatment of the disease also affects, and the sedentary lifestyle of most citizens does not improve the situation. Unfortunately, the Mali government is not sufficiently motivated to develop diabetes treatments in the country.

1. Benin (1.5%)

In Benin, many people suffer from chronic diseases and premature deaths are frequent. The main causes are wasting due to malnutrition, low birth weight, HIV, AIDS and malaria. The country is very poor, the illiteracy rate is incredibly high, which makes medical education difficult to obtain.

Therefore, diabetes is rarely diagnosed in Benin, which makes sick people, as in other African countries, very vulnerable to complications, which can be the reason for the high mortality rate due to the disease. The World Health Organization is working to tackle some of these challenges and plans to meet specific targets by 2030.