As many as 1,500 doctors nationwide are benefiting from an international diabetes training programme which opened in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14.

Under the 2014-2016 programme, 30 local doctors have been sent to the US in 2014 to be updated on the latest treatment for the condition, which has been growing rapidly more common both domestically and globally in recent years as a main result of unhealthy lifestyles and lack of physical activities.

According to Deputy Health Minister Le Thi Xuyen, the proportion of diabetes in the 30-69 age range accounts for nearly 5.7 percent of the total national population, while the rate of people suffering from blood sugar disorders was estimated at 12.8 percent.

The Health Ministry has submitted to the Government an anti-diabetes project which is expected to be added to the national health target. The project has provided free health check-ups and consultation for people who are prone to the disease and nutrition care for the patients. Medical staff are also being trained to better treat the disease.

Statistics by the International Diabetes Federation have shown that about 371 million people around the world are suffering from diabetes and another 280 million are in risk of getting the condition.

The number of patients killed by diabetes is estimated to double by 2030 if no adequate solutions are applied, the association warned.-VNA