Minister of Health: 11.6% of Romanians have diabetes

Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, stated that 11.6% of Romanians have diabetes, emphasizing the need for health policies to address this issue. He stressed that prevention should start in childhood. Rafila highlighted diabetes as one of the three major non-communicable diseases affecting human health, alongside oncological and cardiovascular diseases. It represents the majority of chronic cases and deaths globally, with Romania being no exception.

Rafila noted that 11.6% of Romanians have this condition, highlighting the significance of the allocated resources, amounting to 2.5 billion lei for the treatment and monitoring of diabetes in Romania, impacting nearly 1.5 million patients. He emphasized the importance of addressing this issue in health policies during a conference dedicated to World Diabetes Day.

The minister also stated that diabetes is ‘the consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle generated by traditions, customs, or often by advertising.

‘We consume a lot of carbohydrates and saturated fats, and this clearly leads to metabolic disorders, ultimately resulting in diabetes, a profound metabolic disorder that, if untreated, leads to complications and death,’ he added. ‘I believe public policies, whether they relate to health or nutrition (…) should lead to this response,’ emphasized Rafila