The World Health Organisation (WHO) said the number of people living with diabetes in the African Region will rise to 54 million by 2045 if there are no urgent interventions.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, stated this on Thursday in her statement to mark this year’s World Diabetes Day.
World Diabetes Day is marked annually on 14 November. This year’s theme is “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps.”
Dr Moeti said this poses a significant dual health and economic burden, including catastrophic spending by individuals to control their disease.
She said, “Compounding the challenge is that Africa has the lowest investment rate in diabetes care worldwide, at only 1% of the region’s health expenditure. Health systems are also traditionally designed to deal with acute, infectious diseases, without sufficient attention paid to chronic diseases like diabetes.”
She said in the WHO African Region alone, more than 24 million adults are currently living with diabetes, half of whom remain undiagnosed.
She stated that if left untreated, diabetes can lead to complications such as heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, kidney failure, lower-limb amputation, and eye disease that can result in blindness.
She also said managing diabetes requires a sustained effort to balance physical health activity, healthy diet, and mental well-being, adding that WHO in the African Region is committed to holistic solutions, including proper nutrition, access to the requisite essential medicines, and mental health support.
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