Indonesia now has the seventh largest number of diabetes sufferers in the world following the considerable hike in the number of patients in recent years, according to Indonesia Diabetes Association (Persadias).

Reporting at a recent Global Diabetes Forum, Persadias Chairman Sidartawan Soedondo noted the number of diabetics in Indonesia climbed to 8.5 million in 2013 from 8 million in 2011. Ninety percent of them are classed as Category II caused by hereditary factors.

He said children, teenagers and young adults were prone to Category II diabetes, which is mainly caused by unhealthy lifestyles and other factors like urbanisation and lack of physical activities.

The chairman estimated that 5.7 percent of Indonesia ’s population have diabetes, with 70 percent of them unaware that they suffer from the disease.

He also emphasised that it is vital for people to perform early and periodical checks to detect and treat the condition.

(Source: VNA)