As claimed by the ‘National Program for Diabetes: Challenges and Strategies 2023’, today the ‘growth of costs associated with medicines and devices for the treatment and monitoring of diabetes and the costs of hospital admissions is notable’, being 532,2 million euros in 2021, compared to 367 million in 2017.

The DGS counts 2.76 million patients ‘with a risk assessment for type 2 diabetes’ and 8.4 percent of patients (883,074 people) suffer from the disease.

In 2021, ‘diabetes was responsible for 3,474 deaths, corresponding to 2.8 percent of deaths in Portugal’ and around 10 percent of these fatalities were people under 70 years of age.

Despite this fact ‘the mortality rate attributed to diabetes has been gradually decreasing since 2017, with the 2021 figure being the lowest in recent years’, the report reads.

In 2021, the disease ‘was also responsible for 2,770 potential years of life lost under the age of 70, with an average of 7.6 years of life lost for each death occurring under that age’.

The report focuses on the need for timely screening for diabetic retinopathy, and damage to the retina caused by the disease, which is why there’s a plan to improve the accessibility and function of these treatments.

‘Promoting the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, identifying people at risk of developing diabetes and promoting prevention programs, as well as early diagnosis, these measures will have a potential impact on reducing the incidence and morbidity associated with the disease’ can also be read on the plan released today.

The treatment of type 1 diabetes, through continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (PSICI), allows ‘better glycaemic control, with fewer complications and a better quality of life’.

‘Due to clinical benefits’, the DGS ‘considers it important to promote the introduction of new types of devices (Automatic Insulin Administration Systems and Adhesive Devices), starting with some reimbursement by the NHS within the scope of this PSCI treatment program’.

According to the DGS, ‘there’s advantages with these new types of devices, such as controlling the disease, reducing complications and improving the quality of life’.