When the figures say about 13.2 million Egyptian adults live with diabetes, we are not talking about an individual illness but a national issue that touches the economy, productivity, household budgets and hospitals alike.
More worrying than the number itself is that more than a third of people with diabetes in our region do not know they have it, according to International Diabetes Federation data. They often discover it only when complications appear in the heart, kidneys or eyes, by which time the health and financial bill is far heavier.
Egypt’s large-scale health initiatives in recent years have shown that early screening is possible and effective when there is will and organisation. What is needed now is for regular blood-sugar testing to become a habit that does not wait for a seasonal campaign: at work, at university and at primary care units close to people.
But prevention is not made in clinics alone. It starts at the school tuck shop selling sugary drinks, in a kitchen that relies on white bread and sugar as the cheapest way to fill up, and in cities where space to walk and exercise keeps shrinking.
World Diabetes Day is a reminder that every pound spent on awareness, physical activity and healthy food saves many times more later in treating complications. Prevention is not a luxury; it is the smartest health investment we can make.
Opinion — the views expressed are the author’s own. Data: International Diabetes Federation
