Planning for control of diabetes in Vietnam needs valid information about the burden of diseases in general population. This study employed a cross-sectional design among population aged 30 to 69 years to measure the burden of type 2 diabetes and gaps in access to health care to explore the negative effects of rapid economic growth and urbanization in Chi Linh in recent years. A total of 594 adults were interviewed and had their fasting blood glucose tested. Results indicated that the prevalence of impaired fasting glycaemia was 11.8% and of diabetes was 12.1%. Only 16.8% diabetes cases detected in this study were diagnosed before, indicating a high level of unmet needs for detecting/managing diabetes in Chi Linh population. Significant associated factors with abnormal blood glucose included age and body mass index level. Without effective intervention programs for diabetes control and management, its burden will continue raising in the coming years. Chi Linh need to strengthen the diagnostic/treatment services at primary health care levels to ensure that people at early stage of raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose can be detected and provided with proper management to avoid serious complications, and to reduce hospital overload at central level.
Keywords: diabetes; impaired fasting glycaemia; management of diabetes; unmet need.