Diabetes Treatment Cost: Which country spends the most money on diabetes medicines, where does India stand?:Diabetes is spreading rapidly. Let us tell you which countries in the world spend the most money on this disease and how much it costs.

News Topical, Digital Desk : Which Country Spends Most on Diabetes: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease and one of the most common non-communicable diseases in the world. On average, 1 in 10 adults is affected. The number of people suffering from diabetes is continuously increasing, which is not only increasing the pressure on the health system but also affecting the economies of countries. A new study has revealed the figures of which countries spend how much on diabetes. Let us tell you about it in detail.

What did the research reveal?

This research was conducted by a team of experts from IIASA and the Vienna University of Economics and Business. The study assessed the economic impact of diabetes in 204 countries between 2020 and 2050. The results are startling.

Excluding informal care provided by family members, the global cost of diabetes is approximately US$10 trillion, representing about 0.2 percent of global GDP annually. However, when informal care is also included, this cost rises to approximately US$152 trillion, representing approximately 1.7 percent of global GDP. This figure is considered extremely significant for diseases like diabetes.

How much does it cost in which country?

According to the report, 85% to 90% of the total economic burden is associated with informal care. This is because the number of cases of diabetes is 30 to 50 times higher than the number of deaths. Although diabetes is more prevalent in low-income countries, the United States bears the largest economic cost, followed by India and China. The total impact on India is estimated to be approximately US$11.4 trillion. In the United States, diabetes-related costs have reached US$16.5 trillion, while the burden on China is estimated to be approximately US$11 trillion.

Greater burden on rich countries

The research also revealed that a significant difference between high-income and low-income countries is the distribution of treatment costs and the losses associated with loss of functional capacity. In rich countries, treatment costs represent approximately 41 percent of the total economic burden, while in poor countries, they represent only 14 percent. Michael Kuhn, co-author of the study and acting head of the Economic Frontiers Research Group at IIASA, said this situation clearly demonstrates that access to better and modern treatments for chronic diseases like diabetes is largely limited to high-income countries.