By Salma Khalik , HEALTH CORRESPONDENT

ROME: If nothing is done to curb an alarming surge in diabetes, the disease could pose a serious challenge to the health budgets of even rich countries, an international conference heard yesterday.

Australian MP Judith Moylan told diabetes doctors that they need to 'galvanise' governments to act before it is too late.

'The consequences for richer nations will be drastic, and for poorer nations, catastrophic,' she said at a five-day meeting that has attracted 17,000 medical specialists from around the world.

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