Abstract:
Diabetes mellitus which was once considered a disease of the
developed world, has become a worldwide pandemic, with two thirds of the global
diabetic population living in the developing countries. Local studies show a
definite upward trend in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. The earliest available
study on a rural community in 1990 reported a prevalence of 2.5%. The largestever study on the diabetes prevalence in Sri Lanka was published in 2005. It
showed a prevalence of 14.2% among males and 13.5% among females. The
World Health Organisation and the International Diabetic Federation estimates
and forecasts are much lower than the available local prevalence rates, and what
may be predicted from the prevalence rates in South India. Further research is
necessary to investigate the exact underlying mechanisms for the South Asian
epidemic. Wider preventive programmes need to be urgently implemented to stem
the tide.
