OBJECTIVES:

To describe the mortality from diabetes mellitus before and after the first year of the COVID 19 pandemic in Colombia.

METHODS:

We conducted an ecological study to describe mortality from DM in Colombia by sex and age groups, before and in the first year of the pandemic in Colombia. We obtained DM mortality data from the national agency for population statistics (known as DANE for its initials in Spanish) which collects vital statistics in Colombia. We analyzed anonymized mortality records coded as DM (code 601 from causes of mortality grouped according to the list 6/67 of the PAHO for ICD, 10th revision) for 2019-2020 considering only the underlying cause of death. The variables considered were year of registration of death, number of deaths per year, sex, age, and underlying cause of death.

RESULTS:

In 2019 and 2020 there were 244,355 and 300,853 deaths by all causes respectively. Out of 56,498 (23.1%) excess deaths, 46,019 were due to COVID-19 (code U071). Deaths from DM for were 7,967 (3.26% out of total; 2.71% men - 3.94% women) in 2019 and 10,198 (3.39% out of total; 2.82% men - 4.15% women) in 2020. The increase for deaths from DM was 28% (n=2,231) 32.7% for men(n=1,193) and 24% for women (n=1,038).

CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic increased deaths from DM in Colombia with a greater impact on men. Priority should be given to rebuild health care services for chronic diseases.