Mortality and morbidity of diabetes in Papua New Guinea.

A 95% follow-up of all known diabetic patients in one racial group in Papua New Guinea was performed. Mortality was high with an average life-span of 4–5 years from the time of diagnosis. Microvascular diabetic complications were detected in over half of the surviving diabetic patients whose average duration of known disease was 3.8 years. At present, diabetes mellitus is both a rapidly fatal and morbid disease in Papua New Guinea.