Issue, 34, Diabetes, published on April 2008.

Diabetes

It has been almost three decades since Cambodia escaped from civil war. Now Cambodia is one of the developing countries in South East Asia, seeing increased urbanization, the mechanization of agriculture and many economic changes. With increased development, however, come new chronic diseases. Diabetes is one such disease and is already a major health problem in the country.

In 2007, diabetes caused an estimated 3.5 million deaths across the world, according to the World Diabetes Foundation. Diabetes claims more lives each year than HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, but still little is known about this so-called"silent killer". Indeed many people - including in Cambodia - live with the disease but do not know that they have it.

Recent studies found that 10% of Cambodian adults living in urban areas were diabetic, but two thirds of these were undiagnosed before the study.

Diabetes is a major cause of death and is a costly disease to the individual, family, and society. But many deaths from diabetes can be prevented by timely intervention, regular examination and by controlling blood sugar levels and blood pressure through physical exercise and a healthy diet.

In this issue of Health Messenger we explain what diabetes is, how it is caused, and, how as health workers, you can help treat and prevent the spread of the epidemic.