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Africa: Diabetes Can Be Controlled. but There's No Medicine for Some People Who Need It.
The Conversation Africa, 21 November 2021
The burden of diabetes is increasing globally. There are about half a billion people in the world living with the disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, 23 million people had diabetes in… Read more »
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Africa: WHO - Over 19 Million People Suffering From Diabetes in Africa
This Day, 15 November 2021
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that more than 19 million persons are currently living with diabetes with the number expected to grow to 47 million by 2025. Read more »
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Africa: Covid-19 More Deadly in People With Diabetes
WHO, 11 November 2021
Africa's sharp increase in diabetes is clashing with the COVID-19 pandemic and poor access to vaccines. Africa's death rates from COVID-19 infections are significantly higher in… Read more »
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Africa: Diabetes Prevention, Care Challenges in Africa
WHO-AFRO, 17 November 2021
Africa is expected to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally. The number of people suffering from the disease is predicted to rise to 55 million by 2045--a 134% spike… Read more »
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Africa: Diabetes Equates the Rich and the Poor
IPS, 12 November 2021
Although for different reasons, diabetes appears to be one of the few cases that put rich and poor societies at equal footing. In either case, diabetes is caused by wrong,… Read more »
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Africa: WHO - People With Diabetes in Africa Particularly Vulnerable to Covid
VOA, 12 November 2021
Ahead of World Diabetes Day Sunday, the Africa office of the World Health Organization is warning that the chronic disease leaves patients especially vulnerable to the effects of… Read more »
Diabetes Can be Managed, but People Need Medication
The burden of diabetes is increasing globally. There are about half a billion people in the world living with the disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, 23 million people had diabetes in 2021. This number is expected to increase to 33 million by 2030 and 55 million by 2045.
As part of its 2013-2020 Global Action Plan the World Health Organisation set targets for prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases. It said essential medicines and basic technologies should be at least 80% available in public or private healthcare facilities. For diabetes, these medicines include insulin and oral agents that reduce blood sugar. There should also be medicines like aspirin and statins that reduce the risk of related heart diseases. The technology includes glucometers (for testing blood sugar) and test strips for urine protein and ketones.
Sub-Saharan Africa faces the dual burden of communicable and noncommunicable diseases straining countries' health resources and fragile health systems. Access to essential medicines and diagnostic tests remains a challenge in the region. Public health facilities are faced with frequent stock-outs of medicines and patients often pay for medicines themselves writes Richard E. Sanya for The Conversation.
Currently, diabetes has no cure. But it can be controlled using medicines, diet, and lifestyle modification.
InFocus
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During this time where Covid-19 pandemic has spread around the world, the word comorbidities has become commonplace as scientists explain who would be the most vulnerable in the ... Read more »
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A team made up of employees from the University of Geneva and from Doctors Without Borders, was able to show that an opened insulin cartridge can be stored for four weeks at 37 ... Read more »
A diabetes test at a World Diabetes Day event in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa (file photo).
