Shocking Facts About Diabetes in Africa (Nigeria)

One study showed that out of 116 type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patient on hospital admission (aged 35-64 years), 19% of them died. Most common causes of deaths include hyperglycaemic emergencies, diabetic foot ulcer, cerebral vascular accident, hypoglycaemia, and chronic renal failure.
80% of diabetes death occurs in low and middle income countries like Nigeria.

In developed countries most people with diabetes are above the age of retirement, whereas in developing countries those most frequently affected are aged between 35 and 64.

In 2011, an estimated 14.7 million adults in the Africa Region were suffering from diabetes which resulted in 344,000 deaths. WHO estimates these numbers will more than double by 2030 without urgent action. This rising trend is driven by factors such as modernization, rapid urbanization and lifestyles marked by reducing physical activity and eating habits involving the higher intake of refined sugar and saturation fats.
According to the Diabetes Association of Nigeria (DAN), at least 5 million Nigerians (approx. 2.2% mean national prevalence) are living with diabetes. The prevalence varies from 0.65% in rural Mangu (North), 6.8% in Port Harcourt city (Niger Delta) to 11.0% in urban Lagos. WHO date indicates that Nigeria has the highest number of people living with diabetes in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Control and prevent of diabetes requires continuing access to medication, equipment (glucose - measuring meters and test strips) and trained healthcare professionals. In Nigeria, effort to achieve control of this rising pandemic is faced with numerous challenges: absent or poorly organized service for the care of chronic disease like diabetes; limited public awareness about diabetes; lack of national diabetes management & education program for patient and healthcare professional insufficient access to affordable drugs and devices for diabetes management.

Diabetes care is a term effort involving the patient, diabetes educators, and physician nurse and pharmacist. We know that diabetes education is essential for preventing and managing the disease. And here is the Good News. Patient that are risk for diabetes can be motivated with the knowledge that the onset of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed through proper lifestyle modification:
⦁ Better food choices
⦁ Regular physical activity
⦁ Moderate weight loss (5-10% of body weight)
⦁ Medications

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