ADF STAFF
Concern is growing that Africa soon could see a collision of health crises: A rapidly expanding diabetes epidemic on the continent is proving more deadly as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to flourish.
A recent analysis by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that death rates from COVID-19 infections are far higher in people with diabetes.
Data from 13 African countries showed a 10.2% case fatality rate in COVID-19 patients with diabetes, compared to 2.5% for all COVID-19 patients.
“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,” WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said in a statement November 11.
“The COVID-19 pandemic will eventually subside, but Africa is projected in the coming years to experience the highest increase in diabetes globally.”
With improved living standards on the continent and the widespread availability of high-calorie, processed foods, the number of Africans with diabetes is forecast to more than double from 24 million in 2021 to 55 million by 2045.
The vast majority of diabetes cases in Africa — and about 90% worldwide — are Type 2, as poor diets and sedentary lifestyles have become more prevalent. The disease causes poor blood circulation and inflammation, increasing the risk of complications from COVID-19.
Africa has recorded more than 8.6 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 223,000 COVID-19 deaths as of the beginning of December.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) recently released statistics showing that 537 million people worldwide — one in 10 adults — live with diabetes.
Even worse, the IDF estimates that almost half (44.7%) are undiagnosed. The WHO estimates that 70% of Africans with diabetes are unaware they have the disease.
Nearly 7 million adults have died worldwide in 2021 from diabetes or its complications, including 416,000 in Africa. But those figures don’t count COVID-19 deaths.
An IDF study published in February found that having Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes triples the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19.
By disrupting access to health care through lockdowns and travel restrictions, the pandemic has hindered Africa’s fight against diabetes. It also has stretched the continent’s medical resources and diverted focus and finances.
“As the world marks the centenary of the discovery of insulin, I wish we could say we’ve stopped the rising tide of diabetes,” IDF President Dr. Andrew Boulton told CNN. “Instead, diabetes is currently a pandemic of unprecedented magnitude.
“My fear is we’re going to see a tsunami in the next two years of diabetes and its complications, because people have missed their screening appointments due to fear of catching COVID-19.”