In 2003, an estimated 194 million adults had diabetes worldwide and it is expected that this figure will rise to 333 million individuals by 2025.

Every 10 seconds a person dies of diabetes. It is directly responsible for as many deaths as HIV / AIDS, and causes many more, if indirect mortality from cardiovascular disease is included. This pandemic is threatening to overwhelm global healthcare services. The very survival of many indigenous peoples around the world is threatened by diabetes. It is therefore hardly surprising that many countries are seeking a Resolution on diabetes from the United Nations.

Mauritius has unfortunately not been spared by diabetes. In fact we have one of the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world with nearly one in five of our adults above the age of 30 years having diabetes. The tragedy is that nearly one in two of those who have diabetes do not know that they have diabetes.

Furthermore very few of those who know that they have diabetes have good control of the diabetes. Hence many Mauritians are crippled with many of the complications of diabetes namely cardiovascular diseases, renal failure, blindness and amputations secondary to peripheral vascular disease. More than one in five deaths are caused by diabetes.

For too long now the threat from diabetes has not received the attention required. The threat is very real in terms of the immense human , social and economic costs and even more real in terms of its propensity to overwhelm our healthcare services in the near future if we remain complacent. Nearly every family in Mauritius is confronted directly or indirectly with the suffering associated with diabetes.

Hence this website has been created in order to raise awareness among people and inform them about all aspects of diabetes in a user friendly way.

Honourable Satya Veyash Faugoo.
Minister of Health and Quality of life.