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20 years ago, John Dunscombe from Sully was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 2 years ago, as a result of his condition, he lost his right leg below the knee.

"You view on it initially as an inconvenience. It's a drag to take your sugar levels. It's a drag take your insulin. But my God, the repercussions can be devastating."

Every week in Wales, 42 people with diabetes will have a heart attack and 5 people will have an amputation. The cost to the nation is 10% of the overall NHS budget - half a billion pounds a year, or £55,000 an hour.

And it's only going to get worse. Currently 5% of the population are diagnosed as diabetic, and this is set to double in the next 10 years.

On top of this, many people are walking around with type 2 diabetes and they don't even know they have it. Often there are no symptoms during the early years of the condition, thus earning its nickname, the silent killer.

There is a consensus that the best way to tackle the explosion is through a number of measures including better screening services and better education and awareness.

One area of Wales which is attempting to tackle the problem head on is Camarthenshire. They have come up with an innovative screening programme called Prosiect Sir Gar.

It aims to screen some of the biggest work forces in the region for signs of cardiovascular problems - including the Corus steelworks in Trostre, Hywel Dda National Health Trust, and the local authority.

It is now recognised that diabetes is a cardio vascular condition. The body's insulin isn't in place, leading to high levels of glucose and thicker blood. When it is forced through the capilliaries, it can cause damage and lead to heart attacks, strokes, blindness, renal failure, and nerve damage.

If caught early, life style changes can make all the difference to the outcome, and may even prevent diabetes from developing in the first place. Prosiect Sir Gar hopes to identify people at risk and set them on a different course.

Type 2 diabetes can be controlled by changing one's lifestyle. It's not a matter of giving up sugar, but understanding instead how food should be mixed. Camarthenshire also runs six week education courses to teach diabetics how to manage their condition.

Richard Thomas moved back from England to Camarthenshire five years ago. As a result of changing his GP, he was given an MOT and found out he had type 2 diabetes. His GP referred him to a structure education course known as Xpert.

"The course has made such a difference....they motivate you so much. I'm going to live with diabetes - it hasn't beaten me and it won't."

In 2003, the Welsh Assembly Government published a framework to standardise the care of diabetes across the nation.

One of its stated aims was to ensure that diabetics were empowered to manage their condition effectively. Yet only 2% percent of diabetics in Wales have attended a course such as the one Richard went on.

This lack of consistency is a concern that the Liberal Democrat health spokesman Peter Black has called the government to deal with.

"Parts of Wales, you can go and you can be diagnosed early, you can get the treatment you need. In other parts of Wales that doesn't happen, and clearly that is a discrepancy which the government needs to address as part of rolling out this strategy."

It's a problem that's not going to go away, and many are calling for the Welsh Assembly Government to review its framework and see if it's working. Dai Williams of Diabetes UK Cymru thinks money could be spent more wisely.

"To not do anything is a false economy. It's going to lead to a catastrophe within the population. A small amount of money spent on structured education, we would save ourselves a fortune in Wales and spend the money where it's really needed."