title: Diabetes in the Middle-East and North Africa: an update.
abstract: In recent decades, the prevalence of diabetes has risen dramatically in many countries of the International Diabetes Federation's (IDF) Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) Region. This increase has been driven by a range of factors that include rapid economic development and urbanisation; changes in lifestyle that have led to reduced levels of physical activity, increased intake of refined carbohydrates, and a rise in obesity. These changes have resulted in the countries of MENA Region now having among the highest rates of diabetes prevalence in the world. The current prevalence of diabetes in adults in the Region is estimated to be around 9.2%. Of the 34 million people affected by diabetes, nearly 17 million were undiagnosed and therefore at considerable risk of diabetes complications and poor health outcomes. Enhanced research on the epidemiology of diabetes in the MENA Region needs to be combined with more effective primary prevention of diabetes; and early detection and improved management of patients with established diabetes, including an increased focus on self-management and management in primary care and community settings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK. Electronic address: a.majeed@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Azeem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majeed
authors.affiliation: Sohag Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Egypt.
authors.forename: Adel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: El-Sayed
authors.affiliation: Executive Board, Health Ministers' Council for the Cooperation Council States, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Tawfik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Khoja
authors.affiliation: King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Riyadh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alshamsan
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Millett
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK; WHO Collaborating Centre for Public Health Education and Training, Imperial College London, UK.
authors.forename: Salman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rawaf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000453:epidemiology; D000368:Aged; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011322:Primary Prevention; D012648:Self Care; D055815:Young Adult