WHO: Pre-term births, diabetes a concern

Health Watch, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday 23rd May 2013

 THE World Health Organisation’s 2013 annual statistics report highlights three key trends that countries must improve on.

They are:

  • Pre-term births: Every year around 15 million babies are born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) and one million of them die. Preterm birth is the world’s leading killer of newborn babies and the second most important cause of death (after pneumonia) in all children aged less than five; 
  • Diabetes: Almost 10% of the world’s adult population has diabetes, measured by elevated fasting blood glucose. People with diabetes have increased the risk of stroke and are 10 times more likely to need a lower limb amputation than people who do not have diabetes; and
  • Access to medicine: Many low and middle income countries face a scarcity of medicine in the public sector, forcing people to the private sector where prices can be up to 16 times higher. In these countries an average of only 57% (and as little as 3%) of selected generic medicines are available in the public sector. 

The 2013 statistics compares progress made by countries with the best health status and those with the least favourable status at the Millennium Development Goal baseline year of 1990 and again two decades later.

It shows that in absolute terms, countries in the lowest 25% category of health status have made impressive health progress. 

“Our statistics show that overall gaps are closing between the most advantaged and least advantaged countries of the world,” director of the department of health statistics and information systems at WHO Dr Ties Boerma said. 

“However the situation is far from satisfactory as progress is uneven and large gaps persist between and within countries.”