Joy Wanja

7 September 2010

Nairobi — Medical experts have warned about the prevalence of diabetes in Africa, attributing it to a shift to dormant lifestyles.

Diabetes is fast becoming a silent epidemic with over 300 million people worldwide living with the disease, 80 per cent of these are living in developing countries where they have little or no access to proper medical care.

"Few realise the devastating effect diabetes is having on the people and healthcare systems in Africa," says Professor Jean Claude Mbanya, president of the International Diabetes Federation in a statement.

And with only five years left to achieve the UN's Millennium Development Goals, the IDF called for the rising incidence of diabetes on the continent to be addressed.

It is feared that non communicable diseases may easily overwhelm the current health system if they are not tackled early enough and the public is not well informed on how to keep the disease at bay.

In April, Public Health minister Beth Mugo raised an alarm that lifestyle diseases, including diabetes, could account for higher death rates than malaria, TB and Aids combined.

Mrs Beth Mugo urged Kenyans to lead a healthier lifestyle.

"These have largely been caused by the trend of deviating from our fibre-rich and highly nutritious and health traditional diets to more refined and processed foods while at the same time leading sedentary lifestyles," she had said acknowledging that Kenya, like other developing countries, was increasingly experiencing an influx of non-communicable diseases.

"Diabetes is a threat to public health and development that we have to address as a matter of extreme urgency," Prof Mbanya said ahead of a Diabetes Convention to be held in South Africa later this month.

Health Leaders from Africa will convene in South Africa for the Diabetes Leadership Forum Africa 2010, as one of the activities to push the diabetes agenda forward for all African countries.

Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

The IDF cited Africa's ailing healthcare systems by urging countries to improve treatment, as well as to educating rapidly-urbanising populations about the causes and dangers of the chronic condition.

The IDF is an umbrella organisation of over 200 national diabetes associations in over 160 countries. It represents the interests of the growing number of people with diabetes and those at risk.

Not only is the prevalence of diabetes increasing at an alarming rate it has been cited to affect indigenous poor people, living in slums or informal settlements disproportionately.

And conversely, chronic illnesses like diabetes only serve to perpetuate poverty, which creates and fuels a vicious cycle, medical experts warn.