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Review
. 2021 Sep 15;12(9):1401-1425.
doi: 10.4239/wjd.v12.i9.1401.

Epidemiology of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and call for action

Imad M El-Kebbi  1 , Nayda H Bidikian  2 , Layal Hneiny  3 , Mona Philippe Nasrallah  4
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of type 2 diabetes in the Middle East and North Africa: Challenges and call for action

Imad M El-Kebbi et al. World J Diabetes. .

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes continues to be a serious and highly prevalent public health problem worldwide. In 2019, the highest prevalence of diabetes in the world at 12.2%, with its associated morbidity and mortality, was found in the Middle East and North Africa region. In addition to a genetic predisposition in its population, evidence suggests that obesity, physical inactivity, urbanization, and poor nutritional habits have contributed to the high prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes in the region. These risk factors have also led to an earlier onset of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents, negatively affecting the productive years of the youth and their quality of life. Furthermore, efforts to control the rising prevalence of diabetes and its complications have been challenged and complicated by the political instability and armed conflict in some countries of the region and the recent coronavirus disease 2019. Broad strategies, coupled with targeted interventions at the regional, national, and community levels are needed to address and curb the spread of this public health crisis.

Keywords: Complications; Epidemiology; Middle East and North Africa; Prediabetes; Prevalence; Type 2 diabetes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no relationships/conditions/circumstances that present a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Middle East and North Africa countries ranked by prevalence of type 2 diabetes in 2000 and 2014 (prevalence and confidence intervals are in %)[1]. CI: Confidence interval.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Prevalence of type 2 diabetes by gender in years 2000 and 2014 from the World Health Organization[1] and for Palestine[144].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Prevalence (%) of insufficient physical activity among adults aged 18+ year in 2016 (age-standardized estimate)[1].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Prevalence (%) of obesity by country among adults aged 18 years or older, defined as body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in 2000 and 2016[70].
Figure 5
Figure 5
Prevalence (%) of obesity by country among male and female adults aged 18 years or older. Obesity defined as body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) in 2000 and 2016[70].
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