Why Health Systems Struggle with Type 2 Diabetes

For decades, health systems worldwide have been lagging behind in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the number of people with diabetes has quadrupled over the past 34 years, reaching 422 million in 2014, with most cases being T2DM. This rise occurred despite a wealth of scientific research on the causes and treatments of this disease.

Upon examining the extensive medical and nutritional research on T2DM through the lens of health systems, we found three key areas where systems are falling short: first, they struggle with early detection of the disease; second, they often miss the lifestyle factors that can be changed; and third, they inadvertently support habits that contribute to T2DM. Though there are some success stories on a small scale, no country has yet documented a comprehensive, system-wide approach that effectively addresses the T2DM epidemic. The huge and growing health and economic burdens of T2DM should motivate both national and global efforts to tackle the political and economic barriers hindering successful strategies.

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