WORLD DIABETES DAY: MOVING BEYOND AWARENESS TO ACTION

Each year on 14 November, the world observes World Diabetes Day, a call to confront one of today’s fastest-growing public health crises. Diabetes is no longer only a clinical issue.It is a social and economic threat that demands urgent and coordinated solutions.Globally, about 537 million adults aged 20–79 are living with diabetes, representing 10.5 percent of the adult population (International Diabetes Federation [IDF], 2021). This figure is expected to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045 (IDF, 2021). Nearly half of these adults,approximately 240 million,remain undiagnosed. These numbers illustrate a worrying trend: diabetes is spreading faster than most countries’ capacity to prevent or manage it effectively.

In Malaysia, the situation is particularly serious. The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019 found that 18.3 percent of adults aged 18 and above—nearly 1 in 5 Malaysians—are living with diabetes (Institute for Public Health [IPH], 2020). A meta-analysis confirms this upward trend, showing a pooled national prevalence of 14.4 percent (Akhtar et al., 2022). Moreover, almost half of Malaysian diabetes cases remain undiagnosed. The combined annual cost of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer exceeds RM 9.65 billion, a figure that continues to rise (World Health Organization [WHO] & Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2022).

As a public-health expert, I believe that mere awareness campaigns are not enough. We must move from awareness to action, toward prevention, early detection, and supportive care that empowers communities to live healthily.The root causes, unhealthy diets, obesity, and physical inactivity,are well known (WHO, 2023). Yet they persist because urban lifestyles encourage convenience over nutrition and screen time over movement. Telling people to “eat healthy” is ineffective when healthy food is costly or inaccessible, and when public spaces discourage physical activity.

A stronger response begins with health-system re-orientation. Primary care should serve as the first line of defence through routine screening for adults aged 30 and above. Clinics must not only diagnose but also monitor glucose levels, provide nutrition counselling, and support mental well-being. Community nurses and health volunteers can be trained to deliver continuing education and follow-up care (IPH, 2020).Next, policy coherence is essential. The government’s inter-agency collaboration should regulate marketing of sugary beverages, enforce front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and promote healthier food environments. Fiscal tools such as the sugar-sweetened beverage tax have already reduced consumption in Malaysia and other countries, but these measures must be accompanied by incentives—such as subsidies for fruits and vegetables—to make healthy choices affordable (Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2022).

We must also confront the social dimension of diabetes. Many patients face stigma or emotional distress that leads to poor adherence to treatment. Community support groups, peer educators, and digital health platforms can create a sense of belonging and motivation. Technology,mobile apps, continuous glucose monitors, teleconsultations,should be integrated into primary care systems to ensure accessibility and continuity (WHO, 2023).However, no policy or innovation will succeed without personal accountability. Preventing diabetes starts with daily habits: balanced meals, at least 30 minutes of physical activity, limited sugar intake, and annual health checks. Studies show that even a 5–10 percent weight reduction can significantly improve glucose control and delay the onset of diabetes (WHO, 2023).

This year’s World Diabetes Day theme, “Diabetes and Well-Being,” reminds us that the disease affects not just the body but also the mind and society as a whole. Managing diabetes means empowering individuals and building environments that support lifelong health.In conclusion, I support national efforts to combat diabetes but urge a comprehensive and sustained approach,one that integrates clinical excellence, public-health innovation, and policy reform. Diabetes prevention is everyone’s responsibility,citizens, policymakers, educators, and industry alike. The time for talk is over; we must act now to flatten Malaysia’s diabetes curve and safeguard the health of future generations.

• Akhtar, S., Nasir, J. A., Ali, A., Asghar, M., Majeed, R., & Sarwar, A. (2022). Prevalence of type-2 diabetes and pre-diabetes in Malaysia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 17(1), e0263139. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263139
• Institute for Public Health. (2020). National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019: Non-communicable Diseases, Risk Factors & Other Health Problems (Fact Sheet). Ministry of Health Malaysia. Retrieved from https://iptk.moh.gov.my/images/technical_report/2020/FactSheet_BI_AUG2020.pdf Institute for Public Health
• International Diabetes Federation. (2021). IDF Diabetes Atlas (10th ed.): Global, regional and country-level diabetes prevalence estimates for 2021 and projections for 2045. Brussels, Belgium: IDF. Retrieved from https://diabetesatlas.org/resources/idf-diabetes-atlas-2021-10th-edition/
• Ministry of Health Malaysia. (2022). The Direct Health-care Cost of Noncommunicable Diseases in Malaysia. Putrajaya: MOH. Retrieved from https://www.moh.gov.my/moh/resources/Penerbitan/Rujukan/NCD/NCD_Laporan/HEALTH-COST_of_NCDs-7a-WEB.pdf gov.my
• World Health Organization & Ministry of Health Malaysia. (2022, August 9). The annual health-care cost of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer in Malaysia exceeds RM 9.65 billion. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/malaysia/news/detail/09-08-2022-the-annual-health-care-cost-of-cardiovascular-diseases--diabetes-and-cancer-in-malaysia-exceeds-rm-9.65-billion World Health Organization+1
• World Health Organization. (2023). Diabetes fact sheet. Geneva: WHO. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes

Dr. Thew Hui Zhu
Family Medicine Specialist
Department of Family Medicine
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
Universiti Putra Malaysia

Date of Input: 13/11/2025 | Updated: 20/02/2026 | qayyumalemilhadie