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The IDF Diabetes Atlas, released by the International Diabetes Federation on World Diabetes Day (14th November), confirms that diabetes is on the increase globally.

And the trend is for younger and younger people to develop the condition with the majority of this 592 million people predicted to be aged under 60.

Regionally, the Western Pacific, which includes Australia, has 138 million people with diabetes, the highest number of people with the disease in the world. Diabetes is predicted to become the leading burden of disease in Australia by 2017.

By the end of 2013, 5.1 million people globally will have died from complications due to the disease.

According to Professor Paul Zimmet, Director Emeritus at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, diabetes is the fastest growing non-communicable disease in Australia and all types of diabetes are increasing in prevalence.

Launching the Atlas, Professor Paul Zimmet is Director Emeritus of the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute says the soaring numbers of diabetes cases can be linked with economic development across the region, explaining "Japan has rates now probably twice the rates in Australia, Korea similar, Singapore has a prevalence rate of diabetes about twice the Australian level. So with economic development diabetes has taken off."

Professor Zimmet continued "diabetes is a very serious disease.

"It can result in debilitating complications including heart attacks, blindness, kidney failure, stroke and limb amputations.

"Despite the significant progress we've made in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease here in Australia, there is still a lot that needs to be done in this field."

Victorian Minister for Health David Davis added "nearly 5% of the Victorian population now has diabetes, which is almost 240,000 Victorians aged 18-75."

The IDF Diabetes Atlas was released in advance of Melbourne hosting the World Diabetes Congress - one of the biggest medical conferences that Australia has ever seen, with around 10,000 researchers, advocates, health professionals and policy expected to attend the event at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 2nd to 6th December 2013.

For more information or to register to attend, visit www.idf.org/worlddiabetescongress 

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