Message of WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Rebecca Moeti
Against a background of rising diabetes prevalence in Africa, complicated by multiple drivers including urbanization, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity, the theme of World Diabetes Day Day 2024 appropriately emphasizes the imperative of a collaborative approach to this “silent killer”.
World Diabetes Day is marked annually by the international community on 14 November, with this year’s theme, “Breaking Barriers, Bridging Gaps”, underlining World Health Organization’s (WHO) commitment to reducing risk, and ensuring that everyone diagnosed with diabetes has access to equitable, comprehensive, affordable and quality treatment and care.
Diabetes, a chronic lifelong disease that leads to uncontrolled blood sugar levels because the body can no longer produce or use the insulin it produces efficiently.
In the WHO African Region alone, more than 24 million adults are currently living with diabetes, half of whom remain undiagnosed. 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.
Without urgent interventions, predictions are that the number of people living with diabetes in the African Region will rise to 54 million by 2045,[1],[2] the highest projected increase globally. This poses a significant dual health and economic burden, including catastrophic spending by individuals to control their disease.
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.
Managing diabetes requires a sustained effort to balance physical health activity, healthy diet, mental well-being, and WHO in the African Region is committed to holistic solutions, including proper nutrition, access to the requisite essential medicines, and mental health support. Equally crucial are comprehensive prevention strategies to address risk factors including obesity, poor diet and physical activity, combined with community engagement to ensure good support systems and reduced stigma.
In an important step forward at the Seventy-fourth session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa in August this year, African Member States endorsed WHO’s Framework for the Implementation of the Global Diabetes Compact (GDC) in Africa. Focused specifically on the challenge of integrating diabetes care into broader health systems in a multi-sectoral approach, it provides a roadmap for countries to strengthen diabetes prevention, diagnosis and care, especially at primary health care level.
On World Diabetes Day today, I urge individuals, communities, governments, health workers, policymakers and civil society organizations to join hands and act now. For individuals, prioritize healthy lifestyle, and if you’re already living with diabetes, have regular medical check-ups.
Communities can play their role by creating supportive environments that promote healthy living, reduce stigma, and provide access to affordable diabetes care and education. For governments, we commit our full support to your efforts to implement policies that enhance access to essential medicines, strengthen primary health care systems, and foreground investment in diabetes prevention and care.
Strengthening diabetes control in the African region demands that we address key gaps, including myths and misconceptions about diabetes, fragile primary health care systems and insufficient capacity and training of health care workers.
Together, let us all commit to breaking down the barriers and addressing the gaps, by raising awareness, spreading knowledge, and creating lasting change for everyone in Africa affected by diabetes.
Learn more:
[1] World Health Organization (WHO). Diabetes, a silent killer in Africa. https://files.aho.afro.who.int/afahobckpcontainer/production/files/iAHO…
[2] International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Africa diabetes report 2000 — 2045. Accessed October 11, 2024. https://diabetesatlas.org/data/
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