Type 2 diabetes cost Singapore more than S$1 billion in 2010 and could soar to beyond S$2.5 billion annually by 2050 if current trends continue, says the first-ever article to predict the cost of this disease in Singapore by graduate student Ms Png May Ee, Assoc Prof Joanne Yoong, research associate Thao Phuong Phan and Dr Wee Hwee Lin at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. The article was first published in Europe’s BMC Public Health in February 2016.
Among diagnosed working-age adults (20-69 years old), the study found that 26 percent of the total economic cost was due to the excess burden of diabetes-related medical treatment while the remaining 74 percent was due to productivity losses related to morbidity and early mortality. With an ageing population and a high proportion of younger diabetes patients in Singapore compared to the rest of Asia, the study also predicted that the total economic costs per diagnosed working-age patients could increase by almost 40% to over S$10,000 in 2050.
Media Coverage:
- The Straits Times, 13 April 2016