Kingdom grapples with rising diabetes challenge
DIABETES is emerging as a major health challenge in
Cambodia, prompting Minister of Health Chheang Ra to urge the public to closely monitor their daily diet.
Ra made the remarks during World Diabetes Day, which was observed on November 20 with the theme “Access to Diabetes Care”, a collaboration between the ministry and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He stressed that diabetes is a chronic disease posing significant challenges to individuals, families and the health system. Complications from the condition can include heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failure and paralysis.
“The main risk factors for diabetes are poor eating habits and lack of regular physical activity,” he added.
He emphasised that while the disease is treatable, prevention is also possible through dietary changes, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, reducing alcohol consumption and quitting smoking.
The minister called on health officials and development partners to increase awareness and education about the illness, particularly urging those over 40 to check their blood sugar levels promptly for timely treatment.
Hou Kroeun, deputy country director of Helen Keller International (HKI) Cambodia, also expressed concerns about the state of diabetes both in the country and globally.
“Non-communicable diseases, particularly diabetes, are not just health consequences; they also significantly affect Cambodia’s economic sustainability. Diabetes can be caused by an unhealthy diet, obesity and lack of exercise,” he added.
He urged citizens to focus on their personal health and diet to mitigate the risk of diabetes and other diseases.
According to WHO data from 2019, the metabolic disorder directly caused 284,049 deaths globally, with 44 per cent of the deaths attributed to people under the age of 70.
The ministry reported that the condition accounts for a two per cent mortality rate among all deaths in the country.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) noted that in 2019, an average of 22 people died from diabetes in the Kingdom each day. Each patient spent an average of $238 annually on treatment, totalling $102 million. They project that by 2030, the overall cost of treatment in the country could reach $145.9 million.