He said the majority of incidences of diabetes is preventable with good lifestyle habits, and the disease can be detected early with regular screening.

In conjunction with World Diabetes Day today, Noor Hisham said the health ministry advised Malaysians to prevent and control diabetes by adopting a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet, an active lifestyle, cultivating a healthy mind and by not smoking and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption.

He said adherence to the treatment and advice of health professionals, and adopting a healthier lifestyle will help control diabetes at an optimum level while preventing complications.

“The country is undergoing the Covid-19 pandemic that has not seen any signs of ending soon. Studies have shown that older people and people with obesity, diabetes and hypertension are at higher risk for Covid-19 virus infection severity and fatality,” he said in a statement.

“The National Diabetes Registry Report 2013-2019 found that only 32.4% of patients who sought care in MoH primary care clinics in 2019 achieved an optimal level of diabetes control.”

Noor Hisham also said the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 revealed that 3.9 million (18.3%) of Malaysians aged 18 and above had diabetes, a significant increase from 11.2% in 2011 and 13.4% in 2015.

He said diabetes not only has a negative impact on the quality of life and health care costs but also increases the economic burden of individuals, families and communities, besides affecting national productivity.

He said the theme “Diabetes: Nurses Make the Difference” was chosen for World Diabetes Day this year to increase the level of public awareness on the important role played by nurses in the prevention and control of diabetes in Malaysia and around the world.

“There is no denying that the role of nurses and other frontline health professionals is crucial in the management of diabetes patients, especially with the increasing number of patients each year,” he said.