TEHRAN — The Italian Barometer Diabetes Observatory Foundation (IBDO) and the Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute affiliated with University of Tehran have inked a memorandum of understanding to prevent the prevalence of diabetes in the two countries.

According to IRNA, the MOU was signed on Tuesday in Rome to prevent and treat diabetes by enhancing academic cooperation between the two countries’ universities and research centers with the intention of developing schemes to fulfill the goal.

Mentioning the high incidence of diabetes in Iran and other countries worldwide, Mohammad-Baqer Larijani, the director for teaching affairs at the Health Ministry, said that “We are planning on hampering the disease from spreading by offering a better diagnosis, more efficient control, and better treatment procedure.”

“Our cooperation won’t be limited to Italy and we will undertake much broader activities to manage the disease,” Larijani explained.

Diabetes is one of the most serious predicaments of this century as World Health Organization (WHO) calls for global action to halt rise in and improve care for people with diabetes this year concurrent with World Health Day on April 7.

Based on WHO Global report on diabetes the number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries. Factors driving this dramatic rise include overweight and obesity.

Every 6 seconds one die of diabetes worldwide and considering the 10 percent prevalence of the disease in Iran it is projected that 8.4 million Iranian will be affected by diabetes by the Iranian calendar year of 1414 falling on 2035.

By the same year the number would increase to 6.1 million in Italy but Iranian and Italian researchers have already started joint international attempts to manage the disease.

MQ/MG