More than a third of people with diabetes in Cyprus do not know they have it
Ahead of World Diabetes Day on 14 November, endocrinologists urge early checks; free screenings are planned across the island.
An estimated 106,100 adults in Cyprus live with diabetes, and more than a third of them are unaware of it, according to figures highlighted before World Diabetes Day on 14 November. The International Diabetes Federation's 2025 Atlas puts the undiagnosed share at 36.6 per cent, about 38,800 people. Separate national figures count 78,084 diagnosed patients.
The Cyprus Endocrinology Society stressed on Thursday that early diagnosis and treatment matter, warning that one in two people with type 2 diabetes is diagnosed only after a first complication. Early detection of type 1 diabetes is essential to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.
Prevalence among adults aged 20–79 stands at 11.1 per cent in Cyprus versus 9.8 per cent in the IDF's European region, and the number of adults with diabetes could reach 140,000 by 2050. The OECD's 2025 country profile found Cyprus has the EU's second-highest rate of treatable mortality from diabetes.
This year's campaign, "Early action on diabetes", backs the WHO goal of diagnosing 80 per cent of people with diabetes by 2030.
Free blood-sugar and blood-pressure checks are on offer: a Diabetic Village at the University of Nicosia's Block venue on Saturday 14 November from 11am to 3pm, an event at the Sotira Social Benefits Centre on Thursday from 5pm to 8pm, and an awareness event at Nicosia Mall on Sunday from 11am to 4pm.
Sources
This article is an original rewrite of facts reported by the outlets below; read the originals for full detail.
