May 15 (KUNA) -- The rate of diabetes in Kuwait has hit 15 percent, a Kuwaiti doctor said here Saturday, citing recent WHO statistics.
Speaking to reporters on the occasion of a diabetic foot awareness event, Al-Nahda Health Center Chief Mohammad Al-Otaibi said diabetic is a key reason for diabetic foot infection and 84 percent of foot amputation.
Diabetic foot is a complication of diabetics, and 15 percent of diabetes get infected with diabetic foot, he said.
Diabetes' negligence of preventive procedures lead to several complications, mainly foot amputation, he said, adding that developing countries spend roughly 40 percent of their medical care expenditure on diabetic foot-bearing problems, while developed nations only spend five percent.
However, diabetes can prevent infection with diabetic foot by means of fending off high blood sugar levels, undergoing annual foot checkup and swift medical retreatment in case of foot trouble, he suggested.
Diabetes rate in Kuwait is high, affecting over 15 percent of adults and 22 for every 100,000 children under 14.
The number of diabetes worldwide is expected to exceed 300 million by 2025. - Kuna