Malta ranks 20th in diabetes list

A new study comparing the effectiveness of European healthcare systems in combating diabetes shows that Malta is doing well in prevention and care but is featuring badly when it comes to data and recording the effects of the care being given.

According to the first edition of the Euro Consumer Diabetes Index, Malta ranks in the 20 position among 29 European countries, which, apart from the 27 EU member states, include also Norway and Switzerland.

The diabetes index, compiled by the Health Consumer Powerhouse - a Swedish private research organisation, is built on public statistics and independent research and compares diabetes healthcare in Europe from the consumers' point of view. The study covers 26 performance indicators of quality, subdivided into five main categories: information, consumer rights and choice, generosity of the healthcares system, prevention, access to procedures and outcomes.

Malta ranks in the top positions when it comes to consumers rights, prevention and generosity of the healthcare system but is one of the worst performers on outcomes due to the lack of data and its analyses.

Beatriz Cebolla Garoffe, project manager for the diabetes index, commented that the screening coverage in Malta is reasonably good and there is a high awareness in the healthcare system that diabetes is a big problem.

"One of the biggest problems, however, is that Malta has poor or non-existent outcomes data," she said. This has led Malta to acquire a relatively low overall result when all the indicators' results are added up. High prevalence of obesity and smoking also affected the Malta index. According to Dr Garoffe, "high obesity rates are probably the main factor behind the high diabetes prevalence in Malta".

Apart from the fact that Malta's obesity levels are much higher than the EU average, measures to counteract the problem seem to be unpopular. In fact, according to the index, Malta scores badly when it come to physical exercise both on an individual level and as part of the educational system.

On a general level, Denmark leads the diabetes index ranking followed by the UK, France and the Netherlands. On the other hand, Portugal, Cyprus and Bulgaria are the worst performers.

Johan Hjertqvist, president of Health Consumer Powerhouse, said that the index shows that there is a clear need for a greater focus on diabetes prevention as this would make the single biggest difference to reducing the impact of this disease.