BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -- (Marketwire) -- 11/14/12 -- New estimates released by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) today to mark World Diabetes Day 2012 show that 371 million people have diabetes and 187 million are still to be diagnosed. The high number of undiagnosed diabetes cases means that millions of people are at risk of costly and debilitating diabetes complications, including nerve and kidney disease.

Previous estimates from the IDF Diabetes Atlas in 2011 put the number of people with diabetes at 366 million and number of deaths at 4 million. The 2012 figures show that the upward trend will continue. By the end of the year, 4.8 million people will have died from diabetes related complications. Half of these deaths will be in people under the age of 60.

"As millions of undiagnosed people develop diabetes complications, we can expect to see the mortality rate climb" said Jean Claude Mbanya, President of the International Diabetes Federation "On World Diabetes Day, we want to raise awareness that this disease can be controlled and in some cases prevented."

Other findings from the Diabetes Atlas 2012 Update show:

--  471 billion USD were spent on diabetes in 2012, compared to 465 billion
    in 2011 
    
--  4 out of 5 people with diabetes live in low- and middle-income countries
    
--  1 out of 3 adults with diabetes lives in the Western Pacific 
    
--  1 in 4 of all diabetes deaths occur in South-East Asia 
    
--  North America spends the most healthcare dollars on diabetes 
    
--  81% of people with diabetes in Africa are undiagnosed 
    

The release of these figures increases the urgency around IDF's commitment to see diabetes and other Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) finally included in the next set of global development goals, which will take the place of the outgoing Millennium Development goals in 2015.

"Millions of people are dying from diabetes in their most productive years" said Ann Keeling, CEO of IDF "The stability of societies is threatened and huge economic and political burdens are imposed on countries and communities. However this disease remains marginalised on the global health and development agenda and vastly under-resourced."

It is hoped that campaigns such as today's World Diabetes Day will continue to raise the voice of people with diabetes and to encourage all stakeholders to move from advocacy to action on a global scale.

For more information on country and region specific data see the attached Atlas Map, or check the website http://www.idf.org/diabetesatlas/.

About World Diabetes Day

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2007 with the passage of United Nation Resolution 61/225. The campaign draws attention to issues of paramount importance to the diabetes world and keeps diabetes firmly in the public spotlight. This year sees the fourth of a five-year campaign that will address the growing need for diabetes education and prevention programmes. www.worlddiabetesday.org.

About the International Diabetes Federation (IDF)

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organisation of over 200 national diabetes associations in over 160 countries. It represents the interests of the growing number of people with diabetes and those at risk. The Federation has been leading the global diabetes community since 1950. IDF's mission is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. www.idf.org.

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