The Nationalist Party has called for the setting up of a parliamentary working group to focus more action on tackling diabetes and its impact on the population.

MPs Claudette Buttigieg and Ian Vassallo said diabetes was described as a national priority when a strategy to tackle it was unveiled by Health Minister Chris Fearne in 2016. But the strategy expired two years ago, without any tangible action having been taken. Work on its updating was only now just starting. 

The MPs explained that diabetes is one of the most common conditions in Malta, with the country having one of the biggest per capita rates in Europe.

They observed that Malta still lacks a national register of diabetes patients and no system to monitor incidence and prevalence. Not enough investment had been made for an appointments system to monitor the impact of diabetes on eyes and feet and in the orthotic and prosthetic facilities.

The MPs said several antibiotics to treat infections related to diabetes were out of stock.

They called on the government to give this condition the importance it deserved.