Sri Lanka is an island nation in the Indian Ocean situated below the Indian subcontinent and above the equator.

We have a multi ethnic, multi religious population of approximately 20 million, which is growing rapidly and increasing in urbanisation. This tendency is associated with an increase in non-communicable diseases such as Diabetes Mellitus.

The latest figures about diabetes prevalence (2005/2006) indicate a double-digit prevalence in the urban sector 16.4% and 8.7% in the rural sector. This poses a great need to increase the awareness of the condition in the general population. As a developing country in Asia the prevalence in Sri Lanka is similar to that of India and is part of the epidemic.