Johannesburg - One in 10 adults around the world is currently living with diabetes. The total number is predicted to rise to 643 million by 2030 and to 783 million by 2045. One in 22 (24 million) adults in Africa are living with diabetes.
An estimated 240 million people are living with undiagnosed diabetes worldwide – 13 million in Africa. Diabetes was responsible for an estimated $966 billion (R15 trillion) in global health expenditure in 2021.
These are just some of the figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) ahead of World Diabetes Day tomorrow with new research showing that losing weight may be effective in reversing type 2 diabetes in not only people with obesity but those with a moderate body mass index (BMI), too.
In South Africa about 4.5 million people have diabetes – the leading cause of death among women.
Professor Roy Taylor from Newcastle University, UK, warned that most people develop type 2 diabetes due to obesity or inactivity, but about 10 percent of diabetics have a healthy BMI.
“Those who are of normal weight aren’t usually advised to lose weight before being given diabetes drugs and insulin. The theory is that each person has a personal fat threshold which — if exceeded — may cause fat to be stored in harmful places in the body, leading to diabetes, even in slim people. Internal fat around the pancreas and liver may be a reason why people with a normal BMI develop the disease,” he said.
Diabetes UK, the charity that funded the study, said the results, while preliminary, demonstrate very clearly that diabetes is not caused by obesity but by carrying too much weight for your own body.
International health expert Maria Ascencao said focusing on long term health, rather than losing weight, is most effective in fighting disease. In addition to a balanced lifestyle, she suggests choosing supplements like Bio-Berberine Complex and Origine 8 which both help balance blood sugar.
“Follow a nutritious diet, reduce intake of sugar or processed food, exercise regularly and practice mindfulness stress-relief strategies,” she said.
“Use high quality supplements that help lower blood sugar levels and reduce unhealthy cravings, such as the potent plant compound Bio-Berberine Complex and a powerful and innovative South African green tea extract, Origine 8. Both have been shown to help reduce inflammation and regulate metabolism.”
Africa’s sharp increase in diabetes is clashing with the Covid-19 pandemic and poor access to vaccines. Preliminary analysis, which the WHO released this week, shows that the continent’s death rates from Covid-19 infections are significantly higher in patients with diabetes.
“Covid-19 is delivering a clear message: fighting the diabetes epidemic in Africa is in many ways as critical as the battle against the current pandemic,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
She added that while the Covid-19 pandemic will eventually subside, Africa is projected in the coming years to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally.
“We must act now to prevent new cases, vaccinate people who have this condition and, equally importantly, identify and support the millions of Africans unaware they are suffering from this silent killer,” she said.
Diabetes impairs the body’s ability to produce or process insulin, a substance essential to counteracting a dangerous rise in blood sugar. The disease causes inflammation and poor blood circulation, both of which increase the risk of complications, including death, from Covid-19.
Director, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases Cluster at WHO Regional Office for Africa, Dr Benido Impouma, said since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, people with diabetes in countries around the world have been prioritised to receive vaccinations but Africa has faced challenges in this strategy.
“Health officials in Africa should take advantage of the growing availability of low-cost rapid diagnostic tests to routinely test patients in diabetes centres to ensure early detection and proper care,” he said.
WHO figures show that access to vaccines remains poor and so far only 6.6% of the African population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, compared to about 40% globally. Data from 37 countries indicates that since March 2021, more than 6.5 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have gone to Africans with comorbidities, representing 14% of all doses administered so far. Efforts to prioritise people with comorbidities, like diabetes, are accelerating with about half of those 6.5 million doses administered in just the last couple of months.
“Nine months since Covid-19 vaccination campaigns began in Africa, we are still nowhere near where we need to be with protecting our most vulnerable.There is an urgent need to step up vaccination and other key services to people at high risk, including those with diabetes,” Moeti said.
Symptoms of diabetes include excessive thirst, frequent and increased urination, and weight loss. Additional symptoms include blurred vision, fatigue, and longer than usual healing times for even the most minor cuts and bruises. World Diabetes Day is marked every year on November 14 and the 2021 to 2023 global campaign theme is “Access to Diabetes Care – If Not Now, When?”