A COMPARATIVE LITERATURE REVIEW ON DIABETES EPIDEMIC IN CENTRAL ASIA: A GROWING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

Abstract

Diabetes has emerged as a serious public health concern across the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan over the past two decades. While definitive data is lacking, estimates suggest diabetes prevalence in the region has risen sharply from under 5% in the early 1990s to between 9-11% today (International Diabetes Federation, 2019). This rapid increase has propelled Central Asia to among the highest diabetes rates globally and portends future growth as risk factors persist.