The government's announcement of the imminent and long-awaited launch of a National Cancer Strategy is indeed positive and encouraging news. Such a strategy is essential to hopefully tackle, on a national level, a dreadful disease which is also very predominant in Malta.

However, I must appeal to the government and health authorities to seriously consider another equally important condition in the family on non-communicable diseases - diabetes, often referred to as the silent killer. According to the latest edition of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas (4th Edition), in Europe there are 55 million people living with diabetes aged between 20 to 79 years. Unfortunately the situation will not improve and it is estimated that by 2020 this number is set to increase by 20 per cent to 66 million people. This averages to a diabetes prevalence rate of 8.1 per cent of the adult population in Europe and a significant increase from the present diabetes prevalence rate of 6.9 per cent.

Malta is no exception to this diabetes epidemic and has a national prevalence rate of 10 per cent of the adult population. Around the world it is estimated that over 250 million people live with diabetes; every second a person dies from diabetes around the world while another two persons are diagnosed with this condition. These are alarming figures that show that diabetes is a serious long-term chronic condition that requires a serious and structured strategy.

An effective National Diabetes Programme is the key to promoting diabetes education and prevention. The 2008 Edition of Diabetes - The Policy Puzzle: Is Europe Making Progress? shows that only 13 out of the 27 EU member states have introduced a national diabetes programme or policy framework for this condition. Unfortunately, Malta is one of the EU member states still waiting to have a National Diabetes Plan. Such a programme would raise public awareness on diabetes; it would promote diabetes on a national level and provide information and education. A national diabetes plan would look into primary prevention to reduce the incidence of diabetes, to ensure early diagnosis and reduce complications, mortality and to minimise the impact of diabetes on society. Such a plan would improve the quality of diabetes treatment and care ensuring that this is accessible community based and with a patient centred approach. A national diabetes plan would ensure that doctors and nurses working in the diabetes field have ongoing professional development and specialised training for diabetes care personnel. The benefits of a structured plan reduce the personal, family and societal burden of diabetes.

The health authorities need to team up with all stakeholders - the Diabetes & Endocrine Centre at Mater Dei, the patient organisation in Malta (Maltese Diabetes Association) and our team of capable diabetologists - to work collectively and closely with the government to embark on this very important programme for Malta.

As I had the opportunity to state on previous occasions, this is an achievable mission and the huge advantages of such a programme will definitely outweigh the costs of devising and implementing such a programme. The government expenditure to embark on a National Diabetes Plan for Malta should be seen as a national investment to reduce the public and personal cost of diabetes.

So while congratulating the government wholeheartedly on their initiative to launch a National Cancer Strategy for Malta, I appeal to the Ministry of Health to start working on their next health strategy - a National Diabetes Plan for Malta.