Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot control the insulin supply in the body, leading to higher blood sugar levels; it can either be auto-immune – type 1 – or caused by lifestyle factors – type 2.

Forty-four per cent of people aged 15 and over with diabetes are undiagnosed, according to modelling by international and Australian researchers from Monash University, the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and the University of Washington.

An estimated 1.3 million Australians have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

While high rates of diagnoses exist in North America and Western Europe, at 83 per cent and 78 per cent respectively, it is far lower in low- and middle-income countries.

The diagnosis rate of people over the age of 15 is just 16 per cent in central Sub-Saharan Africa, while people between the ages of 15 and 39 are also much less likely to be diagnosed.

The researchers were concerned by the finding due to the complications this could cause to affected individuals.

“This group faces a higher risk of lifetime complications compared to those diagnosed later in life, partly because they live with diabetes for longer,” the authors wrote.

Treatment levels for people with the condition also vary, with 97 per cent receiving treatment in the high-income Asia-Pacific region, and just 69 per cent in central Sub-Saharan Africa.

The researchers also found less than half of all people receiving diabetes treatment have optimal blood sugar levels.

Positive strides have been made, the authors noted, but they said gaps still exist in the detection and treatment of the condition.

“Diabetes remains widely underdiagnosed and poorly managed, especially in low- and middle-income countries and for younger adults”, the authors wrote.

“There is an urgent need to strengthen health systems to improve detection, treatment, and ongoing care.”