As many as 90 to 95 percent of diabetes cases in children are type 1 due to the pancreas not being able to produce insulin.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Chairperson of the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI), Piprim Basarah Yanuarso, has urged people to get the health of children checked at health facilities early to prevent death due to diabetes mellitus.

"As many as 90 to 95 percent of diabetes cases in children are type 1 due to the pancreas not being able to produce insulin," he informed during a media discussion, here on Saturday.

Therefore, he said, a comprehensive approach is needed to achieve zero diabetes deaths among children.

According to him, many patients with type 1 diabetes come to the hospital in an emergency with diabetic ketoacidosis.

The condition can be prevented if parents report the disease in children early.

Global partnership Changing Diabetes in Children (CDiC) Indonesia project lead Aman Bhakti Pulungan said that diabetes is a common chronic disease in children and adolescents.

According to data from the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the number of case of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents aged 0–19 years was 1.2 million in 2021, and the figure increased to 1.52 million in 2022.

Furthermore, the number of new cases of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents stood at 184,100 in 2021 and rose to 201 thousand in 2022.

Epidemiologically, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in Indonesia has increased significantly. The real prevalence is predicted to be higher than existing data.

In 2000, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes was just 0.004 per 100 thousand children. In 2010, the figure increased slightly to 0.028 per 100 thousand children.

However, in 2023, the prevalence has risen significantly to 2 per 100 thousand children.

"The problems that hinder diabetes services are socioeconomic (problems)," Pulungan said.

He further said that the national health insurance program of the National Health Care and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) covers diabetes treatment. However, it does not include routine daily blood sugar tests.

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Translator: Sugiharto Purnama, Raka Adji
Editor: Arie Novarina
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