Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Papua New Guinea--an historical perspective.

The medical literature of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been dominated by studies in infectious disease and nutrition, due to the evident large burden of related disease. However, since 1963 (1), it has been noted that type 2 diabetes occurs in the country and as reports of rising prevalence have accumulated, it is becoming increasingly clear that diabetes will become one of the major medical problems of the future in PNG.