80 000 people in Botswana have Diabetes
Diabetes has increased in Africa between 1990 and 2015 due to rapid development and urbanisation, which were seen as a boon among economists, but now has health experts worried for the future.
Mauritius leads the pack of countries with a high diabetes prevalence rate of 17 percent, which is two to five times greater than rates in the other African countries according to a report released on Monday by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). In Botswana, 80 000 people (about four percent of the population) suffer from diabetes and there are many more who are undiagnosed, reveals Chairman of Diabetes Association of Botswana (DAB), Dr. Joel Dipesalema.
Two and firty children with diabetes are registered with the association. There are three types of diabetes: type 1 diabetes (a condition where the body stops producing insulin, an essential hormone produced by the pancreas to convert glucose into energy); type 2 diabetes (a condition that develops over time where the body is unable to use insulin properly); and gestational diabetes (a form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, genetics and lifestyle factors). About 90 percent of Batswana have type 2 diabetes according to Dr. Dipesalema, however many of these cases go undiagnosed as there are very few symptoms initially.
Symptoms for diabetes include fatigue; excessive thirst and urination, slow wound healing and skin infections, blurred vision and regular bouts of thrush. As these symptoms can be very mild and develop gradually, many people fail to recognise them as warning signs of diabetes. “It takes on average seven years for a person to get diagnosed with diabetes for the first time,” Dr. Dipesalema said. “Sadly, the result is that a lot of people with type 2 diabetes have already developed complications by the time they are diagnosed.” Diabetes complications are serious and include heart disease, stroke, blindness, amputations and kidney failure. In most cases these complications could have been avoided entirely by early diagnosis and proper treatment. Diabetes is seen as one cause of disability that greatly affects the future development and the use of resources of African states. This is because a diabetes patient requires three times more health resources than a non-diabetic, according to the International Diabetes Federation.
Globally, 366 million people have diabetes. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) predicts this number to rise to 552 million by 2030.The greatest increase in diabetes is expected to be in Africa. It’s predicted that the incidence of diabetes in Africa will have almost doubled by 2030. The main causes for this dramatic rise are urbanisation and obesity. Dr. Dipesalema said a lot of people are migrating from rural to urban areas in pursuit of work and better opportunities. In a short time their lifestyles change dramatically: they adopt a westernised diet high in fat, sugar and salt, and get far less exercise than they were used to. Cultural beliefs also play a big role.
According to registered dietician Oarabile Ngwako, many African communities still see weight gain as a sense of achievement. “It signifies dignity and respect, and shows that you are enjoying wealth and a good life. Being thin is also associated with hardship, trouble at home and serious illnesses such as TB or HIV/Aids.” This weight gain leads to overweight and obesity, which is a great precursor for type 2 Diabetes. Ngwako advised that diabetes could be prevented through reduction of sugar intakes like canned drinks, putting a stop to tobacco smoking and incorporating healthy meals into diets.
