Diabetes in Pakistan: addressing the crisis.

Population-based estimates for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in low-income and middle-income countries are imprecise because of the paucity of registration and surveillance systems in these settings. Current estimates for diabetes prevalence are largely derived from the Global Burden of Disease study,1 often complemented with more targeted surveys and compilations by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). The most recent IDF Atlas2 estimated that there are 33 million people living with type 2 diabetes in Pakistan—the third largest diabetes population globally.