(VOVworld) – The Ministry of Health has called for the community’s active support for activities to prevent diabetes. The call was made at a meeting in Hanoi on Monday as Vietnam is joining countries around the globe to mark World Diabetes Day (November 14).  The latest statistics show that the number of diabetes patients accounts for 6 percent of Vietnam’s population, which is double that in 2000.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long addresses the meeting

Doctor Phan Huong Duong, Deputy Director of the National Hospital of Endocrinology, said: “More young people have contracted the disease due to the overconsumption of food and lack of physical exercise. We are treating many patients aged from 13 to 15 years old, not only in the cities but also from the mountainous areas”.