THE ECONOMIC BURDEN OF DIABETES

Do you know that the cost of diabetes to Singapore in 2010 was $1 billion?

This is equivalent to 0.35% of Singapore's GDP or 10% of healthcare spending.

Increasingly, diabetes is hitting Singaporeans at younger ages.

If the current trend in diabetes continues, the cost of diabetes will soar to $2.5 billion by 2050.

This is according to a study by a team of academics comprising graduate student Ms Png May Ee, Assoc Prof Joanne Yoong, research associate Thao Phuong Phan and Dr Wee Hwee Lin at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.

The study was published in Europe's BMC Public Health in February 2016.

The study shows that the considerable rising economic burden of diabetes will affect not just individuals and health providers but also employers and society overall through the impact of lost productivity.